The majority of healthcare personnel embrace COVID-19 vaccines, according to a study
According to a study done by the University of Minnesota and published in the journal Vaccine, the majority of healthcare staff have been accepting of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Healthcare workers are invaluable, serving as the critical link between public and individual health, particularly in immigrant communities, said William Stauffer, MD, MSPH, FASTMH, a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility.
“They provide individuals with reliable vaccine information as well as insight and assistance on vaccine programs to public health officials.”
According to the researchers, who were led by the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants in collaboration with the Migrant Clinicians Network, nearly 90% of healthcare workers surveyed were vaccine-acceptant.
Those who served immigrant communities were more accepting than those who did not. Healthcare personnel who had at least one reservation about vaccination were more likely to report that their patients did as well.
Healthcare workers that were polled rated instructional information as the most useful for themselves and their coworkers. In addition, half of patients said that a clinician who told them to get a vaccine during a one-on-one conversation was the best way to make a decision.
Health care workers can help public health efforts by giving real-time information about vaccine attitudes and communication strategies, says Christine Thomas, DO, an infectious diseases fellow at the University of Minnesota Medical School and author of the study.
Researchers suggest that more research be done on the interaction between patient and healthcare worker perspectives on vaccines in order to better understand how information is exchanged and how it affects vaccine decision-making.
