Vaccine hesitancy among the nursing officers working in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry – A mixed-method study

BACKGROUND: Vaccination was considered one of the vital moves in controlling the spread of highly infectious COVID-19 pandemic. But, the initial acceptance level was highly improbable among nursing professionals (57%) in India.(1) Thus, it was necessary to explore the reasons behind this reluctance, as they can act as trusted advisors for general population in decision-making. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the proportion of nursing officers with COVID- 19 vaccine hesitancy during the phase one drive (15th January to 28th February 2021) of vaccination and the various factors contributing to it. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical mixed-method study was done among 422 nursing officers working in a tertiary care hospital, Puducherry. Data was collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire along with WHO -SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Scale for the quantitative component and an interview guide for qualitative part. RESULTS: More than half of the participants were found to be COVID- 19 vaccine hesitant based on the operational definition, with fear of side effects being the most reported reason. Factors like work experience of five years or less, previous history of COVID- 19 infection, and delayed receipt of the first dose of the vaccine were significantly associated with vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSION: Improper flow of evidence-based information was identified as one of the major concerns related to vaccine acceptance. Measures should be taken for proper awareness generation through dependable channels and at the same time for the prevention of spread of infodemics pertaining to the new interventions for better penetration and utilization.