High COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Healthcare Workers: Should Such a Trend Require Closer Attention by Policymakers?

Background The newly developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are considered to be a powerful tool to contain the devastating pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk of exposure to COVID-19 and, therefore, they are the priority group for vaccination. Objectives The study aimed to examine the perceptions, attitudes, and acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs in India. Study design A cross-sectional pilot survey was conducted using an online questionnaire between 13 and 25 January 2021. Results Among 264 respondents, 40.2% of HCWs would receive the vaccine against COVID-19 if available and 32.2% were willing to take the vaccine after observing adverse effects in others. Infected members in the immediate social network (OR:2.15; 95%CI:0.426-10.844), COVID-19 knowledge (OR:5.113; 95%CI:0.974-26.853), the safety of vaccines (OR:7.608; 95%CI:2.618-22.11), and those who did not receive a flu vaccine last year (OR:2.612; 95%CI:1.120-6.091) were found to have a statistically significant association with vaccine acceptance. The main reasons to delay/refuse vaccination included: ‘quick vaccine development and compromised quality’ (43.7%) and ‘lack of trusted information regarding COVID-19’ (41.3%). Conclusions The finding showed a high rate of vaccine hesitancy among HCWs. Policymakers should take steps to increase public awareness and secure timely and affordable vaccines for the HCWs and general population with effective vaccine promotion campaigns.