Strengthening Behavioral Patterns Impacting COVID-19 Vaccination and Oral Health Amidst the Looming Third Wave Scenario—Need of the Hour!

Abstract

AbstractAim The current review aims to ascertain the scope and depth of the behavioral patterns impacting COVID-19 vaccination and oral health as well as recognize the rates of acceptance and hesitancy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine.Background The COVID-19 vaccination drive is a decisive factor in the control and termination of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about vaccine hesitancy are growing worldwide and it has been thus declared as one among the top 10 threats in 2019 by the World Health Organization; thus, addressing the obstacles and expediters of vaccines will be fundamental in initiating and effectively implementing the interventions to accomplish extreme vaccine coverage.Review Results The vaccine utility is not merely reliant on the efficacy and the safety of the vaccine. The major factor is the vaccine acceptance among the general public of all the sectors of the society. Trust in public authorities, adverse effects, phobias, community influences affect the vaccine acceptance rate tremendously. With an evolving third peak of the COVID pandemic, the affinity toward availing COVID vaccine has increased but the hesitancy rate among individuals still persists.Conclusion The large variations in vaccine acceptance and hesitancy rates can impact the efforts put forth in eliminating the disease. Thus public health policies can enable development of effective approaches to overcome the hesitancy related to COVID-19 vaccine thereby increasing its uptake and facilitating smooth functioning of the vaccination drives which could help conduit the existing gaps.Clinical Significance Involvement of dental health professionals in vaccination campaigns is vital for the enforcement of common risk factor approach wherein focus can be shed on both general and oral health wellness.