COVID‐19 vaccine acceptability among healthcare workers in Ethiopia: Do we practice what we preach?

• Published in: Tropical medicine & international health Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 418 - 425
• Main Authors: Yilma, Daniel, Mohammed, Rezika, Abdela, Seid Getahun, Enbiale, Wendemagegn, Seifu, Fasil, Pareyn, Myrthe, Liesenborghs, Laurens, van Griensven, Johan, van Henten, Saskia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Acceptability; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethiopia; Female; Health care; Health Personnel; Health risks; healthcare workers; Humans; Immunization; Industrial safety; Medical personnel; Physicians; Polls & surveys; Safety; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination; vaccine acceptability; vaccine hesitancy; Vaccines; Ethiopia; COVID-19; vaccine hesitancy; SARS-CoV-2; vaccine acceptability; healthcare workers
• ISSN: 1360-2276; 1365-3156
• DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13742

Objective We assessed healthcare workers (HCWs) COVID‐19 vaccine acceptability in Ethiopia. Methods We carried out a cross‐sectional survey from February to April 2021 in HCWs from five teaching hospitals. HCWs were selected using convenient sampling, and data were collected through a survey link. Descriptive analysis and mixed‐effect logistic regression were performed. A total of 1,314 HCWs participated in the study. Results We found that 25.5% (n = 332) of the HCWs would not accept a COVID‐19 vaccine and 20.2% (n = 264) were not willing to recommend COVID‐19 vaccination to others. Factors associated with vaccine non‐acceptance were female sex (AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3–2.5), the perception that vaccines are unsafe (AOR = 15.0; 95% CI: 8.7–25.9), not considering COVID‐19 as health risk (AOR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.0–9.5) and being unconcerned about contracting COVID‐19 at work (AOR = 3.5; 95% CI: 1.5–8.4). Physicians were more willing to accept vaccination than other HCWs. Higher vaccine acceptability was also noted with increasing age. Participants most often indicated safety concerns as the determining factor on their decision to get vaccinated or not. Conclusion Overall, a quarter of HCWs would not accept a COVID‐19 vaccine. Communications and training should address vaccine safety concerns. Additionally, emphasis should be given to showing current and future impact of COVID‐19 on the personal, public and country level unless control efforts are improved. Interventions aimed to increase vaccine uptake should focus their efforts on younger and non‐physician HCWs.