Intentions of public school teachers in British Columbia, Canada to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
C. Sarai Racey,
Robine Donken,
Imogen Porter,
Arianne Albert,
Julie A. Bettinger,
Jennifer Mark,
Lizl Bonifacio,
Meena Dawar,
Mike Gagel,
Rakel Kling,
Silvina Mema,
Hana Mitchell,
Ian Roe,
Gina Ogilvie,
Manish Sadarangani
Affiliations
C. Sarai Racey
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Women’s Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Robine Donken
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Women’s Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Imogen Porter
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Arianne Albert
Women’s Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Julie A. Bettinger
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Jennifer Mark
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lizl Bonifacio
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Meena Dawar
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Vancouver Costal Health Authority, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Mike Gagel
Northern Health Authority, Prince George, BC, Canada
Rakel Kling
Northern Health Authority, Prince George, BC, Canada
Silvina Mema
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Interior Health Authority, Kelowna, BC, Canada
Hana Mitchell
Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ian Roe
BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Gina Ogilvie
School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Women’s Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Manish Sadarangani
Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Corresponding author at: Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Background: To control the COVID-19 pandemic high vaccine acceptability and uptake will be needed. Teachers represent a priority population to minimize social disruption and ensure continuity in education, which is vital for the well-being and healthy development of youth during the pandemic. The objective of this analysis was to measure public school teachers’ intentions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Methods: A population-wide cross-sectional online survey from August to November 2020 asked all BC public school teachers with an available email address how likely they were to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Two multivariable logistic regression models explored separately sociodemographic and vaccine hesitancy predictors for intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: A total of 5,076 teachers participated. The majority, 89.7%, reported they were likely or very likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. In multivariable regression, sociodemographic predictors of intention to be vaccinated included being male, having an educational background in science or engineering, and using reliable information sources on vaccination such as public health and health care providers. Teachers who reported lower levels of vaccine hesitancy, higher general vaccine knowledge, and belief that COVID-19 was a serious illness were more likely to intend to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: A high proportion of public-school teachers in BC intend to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Continued monitoring of vaccine intentions will be important to inform public health vaccine implementation.
