Barriers and Motivating Factors in Receiving COVID-19 Vaccination Among the Healthcare Workers of Tehran Military Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Despite the availability of the vaccine, achieving collective immunity requires the acceptance of the vaccine among the general population. However, the acceptance of vaccines is a constant concern in countries due to their potential side effects. According to current observations, there is not enough evidence about the COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and hesitancy in Iran. Objective: Due to the insufficient evidence regarding the reluctance to accept COVID-19 vaccination in Iran, the current study was designed to evaluate barrier and motivator factors in receiving COVID-19 vaccination among the healthcare workers of Tehran military hospitals. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 272 healthcare workers of Tehran military hospitals were enrolled. Their demographic, as well as barrier and motivating factors, were prospectively recorded and analyzed. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the qualitative variables between groups. Also, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the normal distribution of all quantitative parameters. Results: We found that 11 % had a history of vaccination against COVID-19, and 89.3% were willing to be vaccinated if the Covid vaccine was available. As obtained, the highest scores for barrier factors in receiving COVID-19 vaccine among the healthcare workers of Tehran military hospitals were belief in having a sufficient immune system (93.4 %), limitation to the number of vaccines (71 %), enough knowledge about all types of available vaccines (70.2 %), and the side effects of the vaccine (44.5 %), respectively. Furthermore, the highest scores for motivator factors in receiving COVID-19 vaccination were believing in the effect of vaccination (89 %) and the free vaccine available for staff (72.8 %), respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggests that early on in a vaccination campaign, most healthcare workers prefer to be vaccinated with an available vaccine, whether in the present or in the future and also identifies several reasons underlying vaccine acceptance and hesitancy. These results could be used in the future to promote campaigns to increase vaccine acceptance. Thus, increasing healthcare workers’ knowledge and consultations are strictly recommended for preventing vaccine hesitancy. In this study, the healthcare workers of military hospitals were more willing to use vaccines for emerging diseases due to their awareness and the higher risk of deadly infectious diseases.