Healthcare professionals' acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination for their children: A cross-sectional study at a tertiary care hospital in Western India.

Abstract

Establishing a transparent and forthright dialog between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the public is paramount in promoting the effective acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination for children. Hence, this study aimed to assess the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, knowledge, and perception among HCPs for their children. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Western India. A structured questionnaire was designed and validated to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The study found that more than 80% of HCPs had good knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines, and 92.74% of them were willing to accept the vaccine for their children. Doctors were more likely to vaccinate their children, and 73% of HCPs had a favorable attitude towardimmunizing their children if a new COVID-19 vaccine was available. Academic/peer-reviewed publications were considered the most reliable source of information for COVID-19 vaccination, followed by government sources. This study found that parental vaccine hesitancy was significantly lower among the HCP group. The majority of HCPs were in favor of vaccinating their children against COVID-19, indicating that they can serve as an effective channel for promoting parental acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in the community.