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oa Hesitancy and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among Iraqi medical students: A cross-sectional study
- Source: Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care, Volume 2022, Issue 6 The Anbar 2nd International Medical Conference (AIMCO 2022), Dec 2022,
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- 10 September 2022
- 15 November 2022
- 06 December 2022
Abstract
Background: Vaccine development against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is vital for pandemic containment. Reluctance or fear of taking the vaccine is a significant impediment to achieving full population immunity coverage. Medical students’ knowledge and education about vaccination are essential, as they will serve as healthcare providers.
Objectives: This study aimed to verify the major factors and barriers affecting vaccine acceptance.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in four of the main medical universities in the middle of Iraq. The survey was achieved via an online questionnaire in December 2021 from 638 medical students.
Results: Out of 4500 medical students, there were 638 participant respondents to the survey with a response rate of 14.2%. The main factor affecting vaccine acceptance is the probability of getting infected. The vaccination rate was significantly higher in those vulnerable to infections (p-value = 0.03). Most students (50.3%) believe that the vaccine was safe, and the vaccination rate was statistically significant in those groups (p-value = 0.0001). About 46.2% of the students believe that the vaccine is effective against the infection of COVID-19 (p-value = 0.0001), 44.8% of students were sure that the vaccine did not have major complications (p-value = 0.00001), and 41% (n = 262) of participants thought that the immunity acquired after SARS-CoV-2 infection is better than the immunity acquired by vaccination (p-value = 0.00001).
Conclusion: Vaccine efficacy and beliefs in immunity following COVID-19 were the most influential factors in vaccine intake. The concept of vaccination is widely accepted among medical students, and there is raised awareness about how important to get vaccinated.