Attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination of healthcare workers in Israel and vaccination rates during vaccine rollout.

Abstract

A new COVID-19 vaccine was introduced in a remarkably short period of time. Public and healthcare workers (HCWs) were concerned about the safety of the vaccine, especially in light of the use of new technologies. A review regarding attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination found a 22.5% hesitancy rate among HCWs. Online anonymous questionnaires were delivered using a web-based surveying platform to community HCWs in a central district in Israel from 3 to 19 January 2021. The real COVID-19 vaccination data were collected between the beginning of the vaccination rollout and the end of the month after the survey as well as the real vaccination rate among the general population. Of the 3,172 HCWs, 549 (17%) responded to the questionnaire. The highest positive attitude towards the vaccine was among physicians (95%), while nurses showed the highest level of hesitation (14%) for a specific sector (P<0.05). However, the real vaccination rates were similar among physicians (63%) and nurses (62%). Surprisingly, the total vaccination rate of HCWs was substantially lower (52%) than that of the general population (71%). The main vaccination motivators were the social and economic effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. Focused strategies to reduce the level of hesitancy among HCWs are needed.