Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada
Introduction/Objectives: Addressing vaccine hesitancy has become an increasingly important public health priority in recent years. There is a paucity of studies that have focused on vaccine hesitancy among older adults, who are known to be at greater risk of complications from infections such as COV...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319231214127 |
| _version_ | 1797427359950831616 |
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| author | Milena Music Nicholas Taylor Christopher McChesney Christian Krustev Alexandra Chirila Catherine Ji |
| author_facet | Milena Music Nicholas Taylor Christopher McChesney Christian Krustev Alexandra Chirila Catherine Ji |
| author_sort | Milena Music |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction/Objectives: Addressing vaccine hesitancy has become an increasingly important public health priority in recent years. There is a paucity of studies that have focused on vaccine hesitancy among older adults, who are known to be at greater risk of complications from infections such as COVID-19. We aim to explore the attitudes and beliefs of older adults regarding COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in Toronto, Ontario. Methods: Older adults enrolled in the Student Senior Isolation Prevention Partnership (SSIPP) program at the University of Toronto were contacted to participate in a phone survey and semi-structured interview. Survey data was analyzed descriptively, and attitude toward vaccination was compared between sociodemographic groups by using Fisher’s exact test. Interview audio files were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively for themes and sub-themes. Results: All thirty-three (100%) older adults reported that they had received the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Twenty-six (78.8%) participants reported intent to get vaccinated against influenza or had already received the influenza vaccine that year. Notably, only 2 out 7 (28.6%) individuals who did not plan to get vaccinated against influenza believed that vaccines offered by health providers are beneficial and only 3 out of 7 (42.9%) agreed that getting vaccines is a good way to protect oneself from disease. No other significant differences in attitudes among participants were found when compared by gender, ethnicity, or education level. The qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts identified 5 themes that impact vaccine decision making: safety, trust, mistrust, healthcare experience, and information dissemination and education. Conclusions: Our data showed that older adults in the SSIPP program generally had positive views toward vaccination, especially toward the COVID-19 vaccines. However, several concerns regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines were brought up in interviews, such as the speed at which the vaccines were produced and the inconsistency in government messaging. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:44:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a24b6bcaf981487fbc9be1c8f7a42307 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-1327 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:44:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a24b6bcaf981487fbc9be1c8f7a423072023-12-02T16:03:44ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272023-12-011410.1177/21501319231214127Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, CanadaMilena Music0Nicholas Taylor1Christopher McChesney2Christian Krustev3Alexandra Chirila4Catherine Ji5Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, CanadaIntroduction/Objectives: Addressing vaccine hesitancy has become an increasingly important public health priority in recent years. There is a paucity of studies that have focused on vaccine hesitancy among older adults, who are known to be at greater risk of complications from infections such as COVID-19. We aim to explore the attitudes and beliefs of older adults regarding COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in Toronto, Ontario. Methods: Older adults enrolled in the Student Senior Isolation Prevention Partnership (SSIPP) program at the University of Toronto were contacted to participate in a phone survey and semi-structured interview. Survey data was analyzed descriptively, and attitude toward vaccination was compared between sociodemographic groups by using Fisher’s exact test. Interview audio files were transcribed verbatim and analyzed inductively for themes and sub-themes. Results: All thirty-three (100%) older adults reported that they had received the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Twenty-six (78.8%) participants reported intent to get vaccinated against influenza or had already received the influenza vaccine that year. Notably, only 2 out 7 (28.6%) individuals who did not plan to get vaccinated against influenza believed that vaccines offered by health providers are beneficial and only 3 out of 7 (42.9%) agreed that getting vaccines is a good way to protect oneself from disease. No other significant differences in attitudes among participants were found when compared by gender, ethnicity, or education level. The qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts identified 5 themes that impact vaccine decision making: safety, trust, mistrust, healthcare experience, and information dissemination and education. Conclusions: Our data showed that older adults in the SSIPP program generally had positive views toward vaccination, especially toward the COVID-19 vaccines. However, several concerns regarding the effectiveness of the vaccines were brought up in interviews, such as the speed at which the vaccines were produced and the inconsistency in government messaging.https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319231214127 |
| spellingShingle | Milena Music Nicholas Taylor Christopher McChesney Christian Krustev Alexandra Chirila Catherine Ji Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| title | Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada |
| title_full | Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada |
| title_fullStr | Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada |
| title_short | Perspectives of Older Adults on COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination in Ontario, Canada |
| title_sort | perspectives of older adults on covid 19 and influenza vaccination in ontario canada |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319231214127 |
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