Factors That Contribute to Vaccine Hesitancy towards COVID-19 Vaccination

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccine Efficacy and Safety".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2024 | Viewed by 1015

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: epidemiology; healthcare- associated infections; microorganisms; infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Vaccinations save lives, but many people remain hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 through fear of side effects. Increasing vaccine knowledge is therefore vital for a successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Understanding the reasons for vaccine hesitancy and the benefits of vaccination in disease prevention is necessary. Unvaccinated individuals have higher rates of hospitalization and COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality. We invite you to submit original research articles or reviews to this Special Issue exploring the factors that contribute to hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination and the consequences of non-vaccination.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ljiljana Marković-Denić
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • vaccine hesitancy
  • vaccine attitude
  • vaccine knowledge
  • disease prevention

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 459 KiB  
Article
Primary Healthcare Providers’ Views on Periodic COVID-19 Booster Vaccination for Themselves and Their Patients: A 2023 Nationwide Survey in Belgium
by Marina Digregorio, Pauline Van Ngoc, Julie Domen, Zsofia Bognar, Els Duysburgh, Greet Hendrickx, Pierre Van Damme, Samuel Coenen and Beatrice Scholtes
Vaccines 2024, 12(7), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12070740 - 3 Jul 2024
Viewed by 780
Abstract
New COVID-19 strains and waning vaccine effectiveness prompted initiatives for booster vaccination. In Belgium, healthcare providers (HCPs) received a second booster in July 2022, with eligible individuals receiving a third in autumn. Primary HCPs (PHCPs) play a crucial role in healthcare organization and [...] Read more.
New COVID-19 strains and waning vaccine effectiveness prompted initiatives for booster vaccination. In Belgium, healthcare providers (HCPs) received a second booster in July 2022, with eligible individuals receiving a third in autumn. Primary HCPs (PHCPs) play a crucial role in healthcare organization and patient communication. This study, conducted in February–March 2023, surveyed 1900 Belgian PHCPs to assess their views on periodic COVID-19 boosters for themselves and their patients. The survey included questions on sociodemographic information, willingness to receive periodic COVID-19 boosters, reasons for acceptance or refusal, confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy, and views on booster recommendations. Overall, 86% of participants were willing to receive periodic COVID-19 boosters, motivated by self-protection, patient well-being, and the uninterrupted delivery of healthcare services. Factors influencing booster refusal included not being a general practitioner (GP) or GP trainee, working in Wallonia or Brussels, and lacking vaccine confidence. Although 243 participants would not take boosters periodically, only 74 would not recommend it. Regarding administration, 59% supported pharmacist involvement in COVID-19 vaccination. Further qualitative analysis of 290 PHCPs’ responses revealed varying recommendations, including specific roles like nurses, organizational structures, and collaborative approaches. This study highlights the need to address vaccine confidence, regional disparities, and PHCP roles in booster implementation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop