H, M., S, A., A, E., R, I. (2021). Physicians Concerns toward COVID-19 Vaccines. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 45(3), 233-248. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2021.193281
H, M., S, A., A, E., R, I. (2021). 'Physicians Concerns toward COVID-19 Vaccines', Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 45(3), pp. 233-248. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2021.193281
H, M., S, A., A, E., R, I. Physicians Concerns toward COVID-19 Vaccines. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 2021; 45(3): 233-248. doi: 10.21608/ejom.2021.193281
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.
Abstract
Introduction: Vaccination is a successful method of controlling infectious viral diseases, which may play a major role in virus spread limitation.Aim of Work: To assess the concerns of Egyptian physicians towards COVID-19 vaccines and its associating factors. Materials and Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted on 1026 Egyptian physicians; through a selfadministered questionnaire covering socio-demographic data and physician concerns toward COVID-19 vaccine was used. Results: Among 1026 studied physicians (their age ranged from 25 to 57 years, with a mean of 39.46±10.17), 58.7% were male and 56.8% were from an urban residence. More than half of physicians (56.9%) worked at a secondary care level and 21.7% of them worked at a tertiary care level, 48.8% of participants were specialists and 19.3% were consultants. The mean duration of work experience was 12.94 ±7.54 and ranged from 2 – 25 years. Nearly half of the participants (49.8%) had COVID 19 disease before. Most of the studied physicians (74.9%) did not attend COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaigns. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the significant independent predictors of high concern score were working in a COVID-19 isolation unit, work experience more than 10 years, history of COVID 19 infection, and attending vaccine awareness campaigns (odds ratio, 3.15, 2.0, 2.88 & 3.5 respectively). Conclusion: Healthcare workers’ concern score toward COVID-19 vaccine is of prime importance as it drives them to accept or refuse to take the vaccine and HCWs were considered as a confident source of health information and advice to the public. The modifiable factor that improves vaccine concern was attending COVID-19 awareness campaigns about COVID-19 vaccine, so continuing and increasing awareness campaigns about COVID 19 vaccine is warranted.