Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Indian Medical Students Towards Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) After Two Doses of Vaccination and Their Approach Towards the Third (Booster) Dose.

Abstract

Background and objectives Medical students not only directly impact coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission due to their behavior and perceptions but also play an important role in influencing the behavior and vaccine intentions of their families and the community at large. The study's objective was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students who have completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine towards the disease and their approach towards the third (booster) dose. Methods A total of 705 individual responses were obtained from a cross-sectional web-based study deployed using Google Forms. After getting consent and basic information, data was obtained regarding knowledge of the disease, attitudes towards the disease, and practices regarding the same. The mean score was calculated for the above different categories and compared with their respective cut-offs using a one-sample t-test. Data was also collected regarding their approach towards the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the proportion of each response for different categories of questions was calculated. Results Participants were found to have mean scores in the range of moderate knowledge in the first part (47.67±4.49) and the second part (6.96±1.10) of the questionnaire and moderate practices (30.6±4.27) regarding COVID-19 disease. However, they had a mean score in the range of low attitude (39.79±4.07). The majority of participants acknowledge the role of vaccines in preventing the severity and spread of the disease (71.95%) and its effect on workers and medical professionals (60.26%). Mixed opinions were obtained for concerns regarding its pre-market testing and adverse effects and the government's vaccination policy. Interpretation and conclusion Responses of the medical students obtained in this study were majorly positive and in accordance with pre-vaccination studies concerning knowledge and practices. However, the low mean score in attitude obtained can be possibly explained due to their lack of direct exposure to patient management during the pandemic. The majority of participants had a positive response towards the use of the vaccine and the effectiveness of the booster dose, but concerns regarding pre-market testing, adverse effects, and the government's vaccination policy suggested the role of awareness campaigns and government endeavors to curb the same.