Sociodemographic and Occupational Factors Associated with Low Early Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine in Hospital-Based Healthcare Workers, Georgia, March-July 2021.
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Lucaccioni H, Chakhunashvili G, McKnight CJ, Zardiashvili T, Jorgensen P, Pebody R, Kissling E, Katz MA, Sanodze L
Vaccines 10 (8) - [2022-07-27; online 2022-07-27]
In Georgia, an upper-middle income European country, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began on 15 March 2021 with health workers (HWs), a priority group for vaccination. We assessed the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination among HWs at six large hospitals in the early stages of the vaccine rollout (March-July 2021). Among 1533 HWs, 274 (17.9%) had received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Strong independent predictors of early vaccine uptake were age > 40 years, especially 50-59 years old (aOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.50-3.88), considering the vaccine as "somewhat effective" or "very effective" rather than "not effective" (aOR 6.33, 95% CI 2.29-26.3 and aOR 10.9, 95% CI 3.88-45.70, respectively), and previous vaccination against seasonal influenza (aOR 2.98, 95% CI 2.19-4.08). Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was negatively associated with receiving the vaccine (aOR 0.6, 95% CI 0.40-0.80). Compared to physicians, nurses/midwives (aOR 0.22, 95% CI 0.15-0.32), administrative staff (aOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.22-0.56), and ancillary staff (aOR 0.07, 95% CI 0.04-0.15) were less likely to have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Tailoring the COVID-19 vaccine communications campaign to younger and non-physician HWs, and emphasizing the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine, could help further increase vaccine coverage among HWs in Georgia.
PubMed 36016084
DOI 10.3390/vaccines10081197
Crossref 10.3390/vaccines10081197
pii: vaccines10081197
pmc: PMC9415840