Abstract
Vaccination is the most effective tool to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is ineffective without appropriate public acceptance. In Poland, 53% of the country’s population is vaccinated, which puts us in the last position among the EU countries. Therefore, this study aims to assess the main concerns regarding vaccination in the unvaccinated population of Poland. The study was based on an original questionnaire that was distributed online. There were three phases of the study: Phase 1—before the preventive vaccination plan, Phase 2—2 months after implementation of the programme, Phase 3—after 4 months when the immunisation rate in Poland was 42%. A total of 4459 individuals participated in the study. As many as 1943 participants were excluded from the analysis due to lack of consent (30 subjects) or COVID-19 vaccination (1913 subjects). Out of the remaining 2516 unvaccinated individuals, 463 were participants in the first phase of the study, 1137 in the second phase of the study, and 916 in the third phase. As the preventive vaccination plan in Poland continued, concerns about vaccine adverse events, safety and efficacy were raised. The only lower concern was that about the vaccine transportation rules. Moreover, as the vaccination programme continued, there was an increase in the percentage of individuals declaring their full reluctance towards vaccination against COVID-19. Conclusions: The Internet is the main source of knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccination, so it should be focused on during vaccination campaigns. The public is primarily concerned about adverse events of vaccines and the lack of appropriate tests of the products used. Therefore, it is advisable to popularise the current state of knowledge and promote reliable information concerning the COVID-19 vaccination.
Highlights
The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is the most effective way to prevent hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19, a disease that has contributed to the deaths of nearly five million people out of more than 240 million detected infections [1]
This is largely due to omnipresent infodemics, both online and in everyday life [5]. This phenomenon has been evident in social media, where anyone can generate content without any oversight and, depending on the message, they can influence in various ways the attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination in the audience [6]
For the purposes of this study, 1943 participants were excluded from the analysis due to lack of consent (30 subjects) or COVID-19 vaccination (1913 subjects)
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is the most effective way to prevent hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19, a disease that has contributed to the deaths of nearly five million people out of more than 240 million detected infections [1]. Despite the efforts of scientists and health professionals from all over the world, many people are reluctant to get vaccinated, and some of them even openly criticise the COVID-19 vaccination by proclaiming opinions that are frequently inconsistent with scientific knowledge [2,3] Those individuals often tend to base their views on diverse sources of information that are not always reliable. This phenomenon has been evident in social media, where anyone can generate content without any oversight and, depending on the message, they can influence in various ways the attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination in the audience [6] Such information is frequently related to the assessment of the safety, efficacy and appropriateness of vaccines, which are major concerns about the COVID-19 vaccination [7]. Even the most effective medical remedy is not sufficient without appropriate social acceptance [5]
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