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“To Protect Myself, My Friends, Family, Workmates and Patients …and to Play My Part”: COVID-19 Vaccination Perceptions among Health and Aged Care Workers in New South Wales, Australia

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  • Katarzyna T. Bolsewicz

    (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
    Hunter New England Local Health District, Health Protection, Wallsend Hospital Campus, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia)

  • Maryke S. Steffens

    (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia)

  • Bianca Bullivant

    (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia)

  • Catherine King

    (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
    The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Clinical School, The Faculty of Medicine and Health, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia)

  • Frank Beard

    (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cnr Hawkesbury Rd & Hainsworth St., Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
    School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building (A27) Fisher Road, Sidney, NSW 2006, Australia)

Abstract

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has globally caused widespread disruption, morbidity and mortality. The uptake of COVID-19 vaccination is critical for minimising further impacts of the pandemic. Health and aged care workers (HACWs) play a central role in public confidence in vaccines and are one of the priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination in Australia. Qualitative phone interviews with 19 HACWs aged 21–50 years old from New South Wales, Australia, were conducted, and the data were analysed thematically in order to understand the factors influencing HACWs’ acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. We found that HACWs reported a continuum of COVID-19 vaccination intentions with 12 enthusiastically accepting and 7 hesitant. Using the Behavioral and Social Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccination (BeSD) Framework, we found that participants’ acceptance of vaccination was primarily driven by their perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination (such as safety, risk and benefits) and by the information sources, people and norms they trusted. Informed by study findings, we propose several communication strategies which may be helpful in addressing HACWs vaccination acceptance. We note however that as the pandemic continues, further studies with HACWs from diverse backgrounds are needed in order to provide accurate data on diverse motivational and practical drivers of evolving perceptions and attitudes towards vaccination.

Suggested Citation

  • Katarzyna T. Bolsewicz & Maryke S. Steffens & Bianca Bullivant & Catherine King & Frank Beard, 2021. "“To Protect Myself, My Friends, Family, Workmates and Patients …and to Play My Part”: COVID-19 Vaccination Perceptions among Health and Aged Care Workers in New South Wales, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:17:p:8954-:d:621755
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Julie Leask, 2011. "Target the fence-sitters," Nature, Nature, vol. 473(7348), pages 443-445, May.
    2. Heidi J. Larson, 2018. "The biggest pandemic risk? Viral misinformation," Nature, Nature, vol. 562(7727), pages 309-309, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Huang, Qian & Gilkey, Melissa B. & Thompson, Peyton & Grabert, Brigid K. & Dailey, Susan Alton & Brewer, Noel T., 2022. "Explaining higher Covid-19 vaccination among some US primary care professionals," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    2. Daphne Bussink-Voorend & Jeannine L. A. Hautvast & Lisa Vandeberg & Olga Visser & Marlies E. J. L. Hulscher, 2022. "A systematic literature review to clarify the concept of vaccine hesitancy," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 6(12), pages 1634-1648, December.

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