Comparison, by Country, of the Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccination by Health Care Workers in the EU/EEA

Health Care Workers (HCWs) are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 when providing care to patients. We investigated the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in the EU/EEA and discuss the factors which influence this uptake.- The aim of this study was to compare, by country, COVID-19 vaccination uptake by HCWs from January to June 2021, to assist with policy making and prospective planning in these countries during the current pandemic and into the future. The study population included all the countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). The secondary data file was downloaded from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) website Descriptive and comparative data were analysed and presented using Excel and Chi-square test of hypothesis. The percentage of HCWs in EU/EEA countries ranged from 1.2% to 5.1% per population. From January to June 2021, the percentage of first and second dose vaccinations of HCWs ranged from 20% to 100% and from 21% to 100%, respectively. The Comirnaty-Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (COM) was the most administered vaccine in all EU/EEA countries, followed by the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine (MOD) and the Astra-Zeneca-Vaxzevria vaccine (AZ). The Janssen-Ad26.COV 2.5 vaccine (Janss) use ranged from 0.1% to 4.8% for the one dose vaccine. Hungary was the only country that administered the Sputnik V vaccine (SPU) and the Beijing CNBG vaccine (BECNBG). In January 2021, a median of 29% of HCWs received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Italy was the only country with a mandatory vaccination policy for HCWs. Vaccination uptake rates were statistically different among EU countries (p < 0.05). Data such as these could be used in mathematical modelling potential future pandemics to predict vaccine up-take by selected, exposed, vulnerable sectors of the population, for whom it is relevant. KEY MESSAGES: • Vaccine hesitancy in healthcare workers. • Planning for the next pandemic.