Factors Affecting the Attitudes of Healthcare Workers to Get COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

Objective: Healthcare workers are at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Attitudes of healthcare workers towards vaccines also affect the approach of society to vaccines. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the attitudes of healthcare workers in Erzurum towards the COVID-19 vaccine and the factors affecting vaccine hesitations. Methods: This cross-sectional study was applied to healthcare workers in Erzurum between January and May 2021 with an online questionnaire. SPSS v25 program was used in data analysis. Results: The mean age of 235 healthcare workers participating in the study was 36.3±9.2 years and 56.2% were women. 69.4% of the participants were physicians, 20% were nurses and 10.6% were support personnel. The rate of vaccine hesitancy/rejection among the participants was 27.6%. 32.3% of the participants who have COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy/rejection, stated that they were worried about side effects and 26.1% stated that they did not have enough information about the vaccine. Male gender and increase in working time were factors that positively affected attitudes towards vaccination. The approach to the COVID-19 vaccine was more positive in the participants who had the seasonal influenza vaccine regularly (p