Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Students in Health Professions: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Vaccine hesitancy (VH), delay in acceptance, and/or refusal to vaccinate is influenced by complacency, confidence, unmet safety, and efficacy concerns. A survey was conducted among U.S. healthcare students to identify factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

METHODS

The World Health Organization 2014 vaccine hesitancy guidelines informed development of a 37-item survey. This cross-sectional survey was distributed to students in 10 randomly selected nursing, pharmacy, and medical programs. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to identify factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

RESULTS

Of the 902 participants who started the survey, 398 completed all COVID-19 questions. Survey respondents were primarily from private schools (84%) and consisted of medical students (49%), female (71%), and millennials (57%). Students believed COVID-19 vaccine was important and protection of vulnerable communities more important than individual protection. Students in general agreed getting the vaccine was necessary to protect others (school and healthcare facilities) (77.4%); only one-third (33.7%) disagreed that they planned to wait and want to see how vaccine affected others before receiving it. Logistic regression results suggest significant differences based on program and political affiliation.

CONCLUSIONS

Engagement of healthcare students may help reach student peers who are vaccine hesitant and help reduce the spread of COVID-19.