PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Assessment of attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors among clinical practitioners in Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

  • Eleleta Surafel Abay,
  • Mezmur Dawit Belew,
  • Beza Seleshi Ketsela,
  • Enderas Eneyew Mengistu,
  • Liya Sisay Getachew,
  • Yonas Ademe Teferi,
  • Abebe Bekele Zerihun

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269923
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 6
p. e0269923

Abstract

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BackgroundClinical practitioners are influential figures in the public's health-seeking behavior. Therefore, understanding their attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine is critical for implementing successful vaccination programs. Our study aimed to investigate clinical practitioners' acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors for evidence-based interventions.MethodsData from 461 clinical practitioners were collected using a cross-sectional design via an online self-administered survey. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses and chi-square tests were conducted using R version 3.6.1.ResultsThe COVID-19 vaccine was accepted by 84.4 percent of those polled, and 86.1 percent said they would recommend it to others. Individuals with advanced levels of education demonstrated greater readiness for vaccine acceptance (PConclusionThe study demonstrated that interventions to improve clinical practitioners' acceptance and recommendation of the COVID-19 vaccine should consider the following factors: level of experience and education, religious beliefs, safety concerns, specific profession, and source of information. Vaccine literacy efforts that directly address specific concerns and misconceptions, such as those that reconcile social media information and religious beliefs with scientific literature, are recommended.