Improve Vaccination Rates Research Articles

A feasibility study assessing knowledge, vaccine hesitancy, and completion rates of free HPV vaccination in low-income uninsured adults.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates remain low in the U.S., particularly among minorities and low-income, uninsured patients. We report preliminary data on a pilot study program providing education and free HPV vaccination at a clinic serving low-income uninsured adults. From October 2020 through October 2022, we assessed HPV vaccination knowledge, awareness, and prevalence of hesitancy towards receiving the vaccine among low-income uninsured patients age 18-45. The Parents Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) survey was modified and used to evaluate vaccine hesitancy. An educational video on HPV was shown to patients declining vaccination. 43 patients were enrolled. 69.8% had heard of the HPV vaccine and 85.7% were non-hesitant based on PACV scores of 0-49. Black participants had a statistically significant higher PACV score (more hesitant) than White participants. Familiarity with the HPV vaccine correlated with lower PACV scores. Only 27% completed all three HPV vaccine doses. The availability of an education program together with free HPV vaccination are not sufficient to achieve adequate vaccination rates in low-income, uninsured adults. Innovative, culturally sensitive education and supportive interventions, in addition to access to free HPV vaccination, are warranted in order to improve vaccination rates in this underserved population.

Increasing Confidence in the HPV Vaccine

HPV causes approximately 26,600 new cancer cases every year in the United States. HPV vaccination initiatives have helped lower HPV infection rates. However, vaccination rates still remain incredibly low. Less than 40% of adolescents that qualify for vaccination have completed a full series. Community engagement through focus groups, interviews, pre and post online surveys of parents have been shown to improve attitudes toward vaccinations. This is a qualitative cross-sectional survey using both quantitative and non-numerical data collected through interviews in order to further understand the reasoning of HPV vaccine hesitant parents who decide to either opt out of vaccination or fail to complete the vaccine series. The study seeks to implement educational strategies such as the testing of a website that works to close the information gap, the amount of available knowledge regarding HPV vaccination compared to the level of knowledge parents actually have. These strategies are implemented with the goal of addressing the concerns of vaccine hesitant parents and assessing their level of hesitancy before and after providing the requisite information regarding HPV vaccination through the interview process. The goal of this study is to both educate and aid in parents decision making when deciding to vaccinate their children for HPV. There is limited community based research available on HPV vaccination hesitancy amongst parents. The approach of using educational materials along with a webpage is new in addressing vaccine hesitancy with regards to HPV. This research could help increase HPV vaccination rates in order to lower HPV related cancers in the future. We found that knowledge played a critical role in improving attitudes toward the HPV vaccine and that improving the knowledge quality of vaccine participants may improve vaccination rates. This work was supported by the American Cancer Society. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Are we working from home or office? Insights from Australia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the factors influencing office occupancy and the broader implications for workplace dynamics in Australia in the post-pandemic era.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on industry insights, research data and expert opinions on remote work and office attendance to explain post-pandemic trends.FindingsThe paper finds that average office occupancy reached 71% of pre-pandemic levels in Q3 2023, indicating a significant rebound from earlier downturns. This can be explained by factors such as improved vaccination rates, clearer return-to-office policies by large corporations and a greater understanding of the virus.Originality/valueThis paper offers valuable insights on the implications of physical, hybrid and remote work highlighting the growing recognition of the importance of physical workspace in fostering collaboration, innovation and organisational culture. It also brings together evidence of the impact of flexible options that may support greater social and environmental sustainability.

Predicting future vaccination habits: The link between influenza vaccination patterns and future vaccination decisions among old aged adults in China

BackgroundAnnual influenza vaccination is crucially recommended for the elderly to maintain humoral immunity. Insufficient coverage requires us to understand the determinants of their influenza behaviors and how these patterns impact vaccination choices. MethodsData from 540 Beijing residents aged over 65 were collected through interviews, capturing vaccination history and sociodemographic details. Individual influenza vaccination records from 2016 to 2020 were obtained from China’s Immunization Information Systems. A latent class model identified three vaccination patterns. Multinomial logistic regression assessed relative risk ratios (RRRs) for vaccination based on sociodemographic factors. Vaccination patterns were used to predict future vaccination likelihood. ResultsThe analysis revealed three groups: sporadically vaccinated (63.33%), occasionally vaccinated (18.71%), and frequently vaccinated (17.96%). Factors associated with frequent vaccination included age over 70 (RRR = 2.81), lower income (RRR = 0.39), higher vaccine hesitancy (RRR = 3.10), multiple chronic conditions (RRR = 2.72), and rural residence (RRR = 2.48). The frequently vaccinated group was more likely to sustain regular vaccination habits in subsequent years compared to the occasionally vaccinated group. ConclusionsOnly 17.96% of Beijing’s older population exhibited a consistent influenza vaccination pattern. Older age, rural residency, and chronic diseases correlated with repeated influenza vaccination. Segmenting the population based on past vaccination behavior can aid in designing targeted interventions to improve vaccination rates.

Public Perception in Saudi Arabia Toward Herpes Zoster and Its Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Herpes zoster (HZ) or shingles, arises from the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), mainly affecting older and immunocompromised individuals. Despite the efficacy of vaccines, vaccination rates in Saudi Arabia are low. Thus, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Saudi Arabian population toward HZ and its vaccination. Methods An observational cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the public perception in Saudi Arabia toward HZ and its vaccination, during the period from January to March 2024. Participants were selected using a non-probability, convenience sampling method, with recruitment facilitated through WhatsApp, a messaging app. Data has been analyzed using the statistical software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). A p-value of <0.05 has been used to report the statistical significance. Results The study's demographic profile included 1237 participants, predominantly younger than 30 years (65.5%), with a female majority (65.7%). Public knowledge about HZ was limited, only 29.6% of participants recognized the risk of HZ post-chickenpox. More than half of the participants were not aware that the vaccine is provided by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for certain groups. However, over 75% are willing to receive the HZ vaccine upon physician recommendation. Conclusion This study shows a general lack of awareness about HZ and its vaccination in Saudi Arabia, including misconceptions about vaccination availability, recommendations, and the disease's complications. Gender differences in attitude and interest highlight the potential for tailored educational campaigns. Addressing these issues is essential for improving vaccination rates and mitigating HZ's impact.

Changes in vaccination practices among infants after the introduction of DTaP-IPV/Hib combination vaccines

BackgroundDiphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenza type B (DTaP-IPV/Hib) combination vaccine was introduced as a part of the Korea National Immunization Program (NIP) on June 19, 2017. Combination vaccines can improve vaccination rates by simplifying the vaccination schedule. ObjectiveTo explain how the introduction of DTaP-IPV/Hib in the NIP has changed vaccination practices for infants. MethodsUsing a nationwide vaccine registry, the proportion of infants who completed the full recommended doses of the primary series of DTaP, IPV, and Hib (D-I-H) within 12 months of age was estimated among those born between 2013 and 2019. Among those, the proportions of those who received the same DTaP components for all 3 doses during the primary series were calculated for the 2013–2016 and the 2017–2019 birth cohorts. Those who received the same component of DTaP throughout the entire primary vaccination schedule were categorized into 3 groups by DTaP components to compare the average frequency of medical visits for vaccination. ResultsA total of 2,703,822 infants were born between 2013 and 2019, of which 96.7% completed full doses of the primary D-I-H series within 12 months of age. For the 2013–2016 birth cohorts, most received DTaP-IPV-only (75.4%), while most of the 2017–2019 birth cohorts received DTaP-IPV/Hib-only (81.0%) to complete the 3 doses for primary D-I-H series. The average frequency of medical visits for vaccination showed a significant difference across the 3 groups classified by DTaP components in every birth cohort (p < 0.001). ConclusionsAfter the introduction of DTaP-IPV/Hib, most infants completed the primary D-I-H series with the combination vaccine and there was a significant reduction in the average number of medical visits for vaccination. Our findings provide important insights for countries considering the introduction of combination vaccines into their NIP.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and associated factors among medical students in Tanzania: evidence from the Catholic University of Health and Allied Science, Mwanza region

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the government of Tanzania has made efforts and initiatives to protect its citizens. These efforts and control measures are lined with WHO guidelines and the National response plan for controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. Unlike other control measures, the Vaccine remained a promised solution to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to determine the COVID-19 hesitancy level and associated factors among medical students. Furthermore, it aims to provide valuable insights and information that can be applied in future immunization campaigns/strategies to improve vaccination rates among this particular group of future medical professionals during the pandemic. Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional survey conducted to assess the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and associated factors among 580 undergraduate medical students at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Science (CUHAS) in Mwanza region, Tanzania. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using STATA version 18.0 to extract descriptive and inferential statistics to determine the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in this particular group of future medical professionals. All the statistics were obtained at a 5% significant level. Results: The vaccine hesitancy was 75.6% (95% CI, 71.9%-79.2%). Thus, more than half of the medical student 54.3% do not trust the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine with AOR 2.96 (95% CI, 1.80-4.86, p-value&lt;0.001); likewise, the safety of Vaccine AOR 0.1.89 (95% CI, 1.11-3.21, p-value=0.019). Further, students who do not prefer free riding (i.e., letting others get the vaccine and believing to get the beneficial effect of herd immunity without being vaccinated) were less likely to deny the Vaccine than those who prefer free riding AOR 0.31 (95% CI, 0.31, 0.13-0.75, p-value=0.009). Despite insignificant odds, too much politics behind the COVID-19 vaccine influences vaccine hesitancy with AOR 1.14 (95% CI, 0.61-2.15, p-value=0.676). Conclusion: The study concludes that despite the efforts to communicate public health information to encourage people to overcome vaccine hesitancy and receive Vaccines, the reluctance to get vaccinated against COVID-19 remains higher than the acceptance rate among medical students.

(982) - Evaluation of a Program to Improve Vaccination Rates in Lung Transplant Candidates

(982) - Evaluation of a Program to Improve Vaccination Rates in Lung Transplant Candidates

Who are vaccine champions and what implementation strategies do they use to improve adolescent HPV vaccination? Findings from a national survey of primary care professionals

BackgroundImplementation science researchers often cite clinical champions as critical to overcoming organizational resistance and other barriers to the implementation of evidence-based health services, yet relatively little is known about who champions are or how they effect change. To inform future efforts to identify and engage champions to support HPV vaccination, we sought to describe the key characteristics and strategies of vaccine champions working in adolescent primary care.MethodsIn 2022, we conducted a national survey with a web-based panel of 2527 primary care professionals (PCPs) with a role in adolescent HPV vaccination (57% response rate). Our sample consisted of pediatricians (26%), family medicine physicians (22%), advanced practice providers (24%), and nursing staff (28%). Our survey assessed PCPs’ experience with vaccine champions, defined as health care professionals “known for helping their colleagues improve vaccination rates.”ResultsOverall, 85% of PCPs reported currently working with one or more vaccine champions. Among these 2144 PCPs, most identified the champion with whom they worked most closely as being a physician (40%) or nurse (40%). Almost all identified champions worked to improve vaccination rates for vaccines in general (45%) or HPV vaccine specifically (49%). PCPs commonly reported that champion implementation strategies included sharing information (79%), encouragement (62%), and vaccination data (59%) with colleagues, but less than half reported that champions led quality improvement projects (39%). Most PCPs perceived their closest champion as being moderately to extremely effective at improving vaccination rates (91%). PCPs who did versus did not work with champions more often recommended HPV vaccination at the earliest opportunity of ages 9–10 rather than later ages (44% vs. 33%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsFindings of our national study suggest that vaccine champions are common in adolescent primary care, but only a minority lead quality improvement projects. Interventionists seeking to identify champions to improve HPV vaccination rates can expect to find them among both physicians and nurses, but should be prepared to offer support to more fully engage them in implementing interventions.

Economic Relevance of Preventable Prohibitions of Employment in Bavarian Schools

According to the Maternity Protection Act, an occupational risk of infection (e. g. in childcare) - combined with individual immunity gaps - can result in an irresponsible risk for pregnant women in the workplace. If this risk cannot be eliminated by any other means, the employer must impose a prohibition of employment (PE) for the pregnant woman concerned. We classified PE as preventable if the underlying immunity gaps could have been closed by immunisation prior to pregnancy. From 01.09.2016 to 25.03.2020, 1922 pregnant employees of Bavarian state schools obtained medical counselling on their occupational risk of infection as part of a research project. If the individual combination of occupational-risk profile and immunity status resulted in an irresponsible risk for the pregnancy, a PE was recommended by the attending physician. We determined the proportion of PE that would have theoretically been preventable by full immunisation prior to pregnancy and approximated the resulting - theoretically preventable - loss of working hours and personnel costs. In 425 cases (22%), a PE was deemed necessary by the attending physician, whereby 193 (45%) were retrospectively classified as theoretically preventable. Of these cases, 53 PE (27%) were temporary (valid until the 20th week of pregnancy) and 140 were long-term (valid for the complete duration of the pregnancy). Based on these results, we approximated a loss of 2,746 working weeks for our collective, which entails theoretically preventable personnel costs totalling 5,763,305 € for the observation period of our study (3.6 years). We then extrapolated estimates for all employees of Bavarian state schools and found a loss of 4,260 working weeks and theoretically preventable personnel costs amounting to almost 8,941,000 € per year during our observation period. Theoretically preventable PE caused by immunity gaps can entail a considerable loss of working hours and high personnel costs. Therefore, we should step up measures aimed at improving vaccination rates in women and increasing their willingness to be vaccinated. In view of the changes in legal and regulatory conditions in Germany since 2020, new investigations should be made as soon as there is sufficient data after the general employment prohibitions due to the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic have been lifted.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the Chinese elderly: A multi-stakeholder qualitative study.

The United Nations reported that the mortality risk of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is five times higher in the elderly than the global average. Although the COVID-19 vaccine effectively prevents infections and reduce mortality among the elderly, vaccine hesitancy among the Chinese elderly poses a significant threat. This study, utilizing the "Confidence, Convenience and Complacency (3 Cs)" vaccine hesitancy model, aimed to explore factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy among the Chinese elderly and assess national countermeasures and potential improvement approaches. Thirteen elderly with vaccine hesitancy and eleven vaccine-related staff participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed three key determinants of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly: perceived low threat of COVID-19, lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccine, and poor accessibility to vaccination. China has implemented strategies, including advocacy through diverse channels, joint multi-sectoral promotion vaccination, and enhancing ongoing vaccination services. Recommendations from the vaccine-related staff emphasize improving vaccine awareness among the elderly, and prioritizing the vaccination environment and process. The study underscores the importance of targeted vaccination promotion programs addressing hesitation reasons to improve vaccination rates. Furthermore, existing countermeasures can serve as a foundation for enhancing vaccination strategies, including improved publicity, administration, and management approaches.

Strategies to increase the coverage of influenza and pneumonia vaccination in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

It is urgent to implement interventions to increase vaccination rates of influenza/pneumonia vaccines in older adults, yet the effectiveness of different intervention strategies has not been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies for increasing the coverage of influenza/pneumonia vaccination in older adults. PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang were searched from 1 January 2000 to 1 October 2022. RCTs that assessed any intervention strategies for increasing influenza/pneumonia vaccination coverage or willingness in older adults were included. A series of random-effects network meta-analysis was conducted by using frequentist frameworks. Twenty-two RCTs involving 385,182 older participants were eligible for further analysis. Eight types of intervention strategies were evaluated. Compared with routine notification, health education (odds ratio [OR], 1.85 [95%CI, 1.19 to 2.88]), centralised reminder (OR, 1.63 [95%CI, 1.07 to 2.47]), health education + onsite vaccination (OR, 2.89 [95%CI, 1.30 to 6.39]), and health education + centralised reminder + onsite vaccination (OR, 20.76 [95%CI, 7.33 to 58.74]) could effectively improve the vaccination rate. The evidence grade was low or very low due to the substantial heterogeneity among studies. Our findings suggest that health education + centralised reminder + onsite vaccination may potentially be an effective strategy regardless of cost, but the evidence level was low. More rigorous trials are needed to identify the association between strategies and vaccination rates among older adults and to integrate such evidence into clinical care to improve vaccination rates.

Using the Australian Immunisation Register to support general practices to improve childhood vaccination rates.

Strategies to improve vaccination rates have been implemented with considerable benefits. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of a supported general practice intervention to 'catch up' overdue children. Between 2017 and 2018, a public health nurse visited 23general practices with high numbers of overdue children to assist staff identify and follow up truly overdue children. A comparison group consisted of a random sample of overdue children from other practices. The intervention was assessed by reviewing Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) records in 2019. Although the intervention group had a significantly higherproportion of children who had their AIR records corrected for vaccines administered prior to the initial practice visit, the intervention did not result in higher vaccination rates. Support to general practices can improve vaccination data on the AIR; however, simple reminders alone are unlikely to increase vaccination rates for truly overduechildren.

County-Level Factors Associated With Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination in Indiana, 2020‒2022.

Objectives. To assess COVID-19 and influenza vaccination rates across Indiana's 92 counties and identify county-level factors associated with vaccination. Methods. We analyzed county-level data on adult COVID-19 vaccination from the Indiana vaccine registry and 2021 adult influenza vaccination from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We used multiple linear regression (MLR) to determine county-level predictors of vaccinations. Results. COVID-19 vaccination ranged from 31.2% to 87.6% (mean = 58.0%); influenza vaccination ranged from 33.7% to 53.1% (mean = 42.9%). In MLR, COVID-19 vaccination was significantly associated with primary care providers per capita (b = 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02, 0.05), median household income (b = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.12, 0.34), percentage Medicare enrollees with a mammogram (b = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.51), percentage uninsured (b = -1.22; 95% CI = -1.57, -0.87), percentage African American (b = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.19, 0.42), percentage female (b = -0.97; 95% CI = -1.79, ‒0.15), and percentage who smoke (b = -0.75; 95% CI = -1.26, -0.23). Influenza vaccination was significantly associated with percentage uninsured (b = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.22, 1.21), percentage African American (b = -0.07; 95% CI = -0.13, -0.01), percentage Hispanic (b = -0.28; 95% CI = -0.40, -0.17), percentage who smoke (b = -0.85; 95% CI = -1.06, -0.64), and percentage who completed high school (b = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.21, 0.87). The MLR models explained 86.7% (COVID-19) and 70.2% (influenza) of the variance. Conclusions. Factors associated with COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations varied. Variables reflecting access to care (e.g., insurance) and higher risk of severe disease (e.g., smoking) are notable. Programs to improve access and target high-risk populations may improve vaccination rates. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(4):415-423. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307553).

Improving Childhood Vaccination Rates with Process Innovation in Central Zone, Alberta.

This project aimed to accurately assess the current state of routine immunization program delivery in a Central Zone community in Alberta and provide actionable recommendations supported by literature review. Engaging with frontline public health nurses responsible for immunization program delivery in the community, contributing factors to low vaccination rates, process inefficiencies and policy gaps were identified. Based on additional literature, strategies to mitigate these gaps with the goal of increasing vaccination rates were proposed and validated. Although in this case, strategies to mitigate process inefficiencies were the most supported given program funding, a multi-pronged approach is still recommended to drive long-term improvements in vaccination rates.

63 - Improving vaccination rates in a primary care clinic

63 - Improving vaccination rates in a primary care clinic

P837 Improving Vaccination Rates in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Single Centre Audit and Quality Improvement Project

Abstract Background Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at an increased risk of infections. Vaccine preventable diseases in patients with IBD are associated with high rates of hospitalizations, costs, mortality and longer hospitalizations. Despite societal recommendations, the uptake of vaccinations is still suboptimal. We aimed to conduct an audit of vaccination status in patients with IBD followed by a quality improvement project (QIP) to improve the vaccination rates in the outpatient clinic setting. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD aged &amp;gt;18 years’ old who attended outpatient clinics between June to September 2022 were identified, and their influenza (IFV) and pneumococcal (PCV) vaccination status was assessed. A QIP was instituted to increase the rate of IFV and PCV coverage in this ambulatory population. Interventions were directed at both the provider and the patient. All providers were educated on vaccination schedules and a standardized electronic template was implemented for clarity of documentation. Laminated posters of vaccination guidelines were placed in each consultation room. All patients were issued with a personalized vaccination card documenting their vaccination status and serving as a prompt for subsequent consultations. We analysed the rate of IFV and PCV coverage post implementation from November 2022 to June 2023. Results 70 patients were identified in the pre-intervention cohort. 30 patients were either &amp;gt;65 years old or on immunosuppression, of which 6/30 (20%) received IFV and 11/30 (36.7%) already received PCV. In the post-intervention cohort, we assessed 187 consecutive patient clinic visits which comprised 115 unique patients. Baseline characteristics are detailed in Table 1. 73 patients were either aged &amp;gt; 65 years old or on immunosuppression, 65 patients had no IFV within 1 year, of which 20/65 (30.7%) obtained vaccination coverage for IFV in the post-intervention period (p=0.01). 63 patients were eligible for PCV and 12/63 (19%) received either pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 or pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23 during this period (Fig. 1). Conclusion A structured QIP with an established protocol engaging patients and guiding providers significantly increased the rate of IFV but not PCV in our cohort. A major hurdle to timely PCV uptake was the erroneous perception of a wider window period by patients and providers given its 5-yearly interval, as compared to IFV. Overall adherence to societal guidelines and uptake of vaccinations is still suboptimal and more work needs to be done to educate providers and patients, increase vaccination uptake and reduce vaccine preventable diseases in patients with IBD.

Social Media Promotion of a Telehealth-based Vaccine Delivery System at the Outpatient Department: a Quasi-Experimental Study.

COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to an increase in demand for pneumococcal and influenza vaccines. Several approaches to improve vaccination rates among different populations were investigated to address this need. Social media may be used as a platform to promote and improve vaccination rates. The study aimed to determine the effect of social media promotion, on the number of patients requesting vaccination in a government tertiary hospital. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. A telehealth-based vaccination delivery system was established. The need for vaccination against flu and pneumonia was then promoted on a social media platform during the first month of the study. Posters on the risk of not being vaccinated and safety profile of vaccines were added on the second month. The number of requests for vaccination for each month was compared. Social media metrics of the two months of the study were likewise described. A total of 23 requests for vaccination were recorded, 11 on the first month and 12 on the second month. When a boost in advertising for the posts was implemented, twice as many requests were made during the third week of the second month as compared to the previous month (5 vs 10). Social media promotion with poster showed higher average in reach, engagement and comments per week than without poster. The mean differences among the social media metrics, however, were not statistically significant. Promotion with posters resulted in a slight increase in number of vaccination requests. Further increase in requests may require a more refined social media promotional strategy.

A Dynamic Model of Information‐Vaccination‐Disease That Accounts for Emerging Viral Variants: Model Development and a Case Study for COVID‐19 in Iceland

Pathogens mutate as diseases spread, and variants that become epidemic or pandemic strains have higher transmission rates and a greater capacity to escape vaccine protection. Considering different vaccine efficacy and vaccination rates is of great significance for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. The spread of vaccination information and the level of trust in vaccinations determine whether people will choose to be vaccinated. To analyze these factors, we developed mean‐field equations for system dynamics to model the complex system of vaccine information dissemination and vaccination, calculated the basic reproduction rate number, and used the Icelandic COVID‐19 outbreak (Omicron variant) as a case study. We found that in the face of emerging variants, increasing vaccine efficacy is more effective than increasing vaccination rates. If vaccine efficacy increases from 40% to 90%, infections can be decreased by 98.5%. However, even a 100% vaccination rate cannot stop the spread of a mutated virus if vaccine efficacy falls below a certain level. High vaccination rates decrease the virus transmission rate. If the efficacy of the vaccine diminishes, the infection will spread rapidly, leading to a greater number of individuals becoming infected with the infectious disease. Due to the high vaccine efficacy against major illnesses and fatalities, improving vaccination rates can lower deaths. Iceland could decrease deaths by 44.8% by raising the vaccination rate from 75.9% to 95.0%. To combat emerging virus variants, it is therefore necessary to both create more effective vaccines and raise awareness of the benefits of vaccination to increase vaccination rates.

Fear of Needles and Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Acceptance Amongst Adults in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study and Implications for Nursing.

Seasonal influenza remains a challenge in the United Arab Emirates, and vaccination is an important preventive measure. However, fear of needles may be an obstacle in vaccination efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine, in a non-clinical sample obtained from the UAE, how much of an impact fear of needles has on the decision to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine. In the period September-December 2022, 372 participants were surveyed on their willingness to be vaccinated, their level of vaccine knowledge, and their level of fear of needles. Logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of fear of needles and vaccine knowledge on the decision to accept the seasonal influenza vaccine. Fear of needles and vaccine knowledge are significant predictors in the decision to receive the vaccine. There were no gender or ethnic differences in fear of needles, but there were differences in the decision to receive the vaccines, with women and non-Arabs being more hesitant. Fear of needles may be an important variable to account for in public policies designed to improve vaccination rates in the UAE. For public health policy in the UAE, this implies that authorities must dedicate efforts to manage fear of needles in the general population. Efforts to address fear of vaccines in the general population must be made with proper training of nurses. Alternatively, authorities may need to seek oral alternatives for the administration of the seasonal influenza vaccine.