Abstract
Due to the limited availability of COVID-19 vaccines, occupational groups with priority access were identified prior to vaccination. The study aimed to analyze motives for vaccination in these occupational groups. Methods: Members of occupational groups, who were vaccinated at the vaccination center of University Hospital Olomouc before 30 April 2021, were asked to fill in an online questionnaire. Results: A total of 3224 completed questionnaires were obtained from 1332 healthcare workers, 1257 school employees, 363 social service workers, 210 security force members, and 62 critical infrastructure workers. The most frequent motive for vaccination was the effort to protect family members (76.2%), the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in one’s profession (72.3%), followed by concerns about COVID-19 itself (49.1%) and exemptions from anti-epidemic measures (36.8%). Only for social services, the motive focused on one’s profession was mentioned more often (75.2%) than the motive focused on the family (71.1%). At the level of detailed profession-oriented motives, a collegial effort of security force members to protect co-workers and not to endanger the workplace was dominant. Conclusions: The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the professional environment is a strong motive for vaccination, and strongest among social service workers.
Highlights
At the end of 2020, vaccinations against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)began; the supply of vaccines was insufficient due to limited production capacities.As a way of protecting essential services and infrastructure during the ongoing pandemic, indispensable occupational groups were granted priority access to vaccination under relevant vaccination strategies [1,2].Vaccination in the Czech Republic began in the last days of 2020, initially among healthcare workers (HCWs), who were in close contact with COVID-19 positive patients and seniors
The study population consisted of workers who were voluntarily vaccinated, based on their affiliation with occupational groups with priority access to vaccination in the first months of 2021: HCWs (except for University Hospital Olomouc (UHO) HCWs, who were excluded from this study), school employees, security force members, social service workers, and critical infrastructure workers
Both in the multiple- and single-choice question, the most frequently selected motive for vaccination was the effort to protect family members, followed by the effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during professional practice, and less often, by concerns about COVID-19 itself and the exemption from restrictive
Summary
As a way of protecting essential services and infrastructure during the ongoing pandemic, indispensable occupational groups were granted priority access to vaccination under relevant vaccination strategies [1,2]. Vaccination in the Czech Republic began in the last days of 2020, initially among healthcare workers (HCWs), who were in close contact with COVID-19 positive patients and seniors. The vaccination of social service workers and outpatient HCWs began around. 27 February 2021; security force members and critical infrastructure workers on 29 March 2021 [3,4]. The continuing vaccinations against COVID-19 indicate that the availability of vaccines does not automatically translate into an uptake. Vaccination uptake is generally influenced by various factors, including access to and affordability of immunization services, awareness of vaccination, social norms, misinformation, perceptions of vaccines and
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