Influenza and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in pharmacists and pharmacy students

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination was identified as being of significant importance to prevent virus spread and to move towards re-introducing normality in everyday life. As the influenza season approached in autumn 2020, the importance of the influenza vaccine was highlighted as a mitigation strategy to limit the consequences and risk of co-infection with the influenza virus and COVID-19. The aim of the study was to evaluate the degree of hesitancy of pharmacists and pharmacy students towards influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in autumn 2020.

METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and disseminated online to Maltese pharmacists and pharmacy students to evaluate influenza and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 136 participants took part in the study where 54% (n=73) were pharmacists and 46% (n=63) were students. A statistically significant increase in the number of participants who intended to take the influenza vaccine in the current year compared to the number of participants who took the vaccine in the previous year was observed in both student and pharmacist cohorts. Fifty-seven percent (n=78) of participants were likely to take the COVID-19 vaccineonce available. Reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy at baseline (prior to COVID-19 vaccines being available) included potential long term side-effects (77%), lack of knowledge (54%) and accelerated process used for the approval of the vaccine (69%).