Considering the attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine, the levels of vaccine hesitancy among Family Healthcare Center (FHC) employees: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine, the extent of vaccine hesitancy, and the factors influencing the Family Healthcare Center staff who are responsible for delivering primary healthcare services. Methods. The research, which employed a cross-sectional design, was carried out with a sample of 102 healthcare professionals employed at family healthcare centers located in the city center. The study data were collected using three instruments: the "Personal Information Form,"the "Vaccination Hesitancy in Pandemic Scale,"and the "Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccine Scale."Results. A total of 13.7% of the participants said that they were hesitant about having themselves vaccinated. The mean total score of vaccine hesitancy in the pandemic was found to be 22.760 ± 8.323, and the attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine was 3.640 ± 0.831. A negative and weak relation was detected between the total score of vaccine hesitancy and the total score of attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine in the pandemic. It was also found that the situation of considering the vaccine as partially necessary increases the vaccine hesitancy in the pandemic and the decrease in the degree of considering the childhood vaccines as necessary decreases the attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine. Discussion. Despite the relatively low prevalence of vaccination hesitancy among healthcare workers, it remains a noteworthy concern. It is imperative to conduct a thorough investigation into the various factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy and the attitudes held by healthcare professionals, with a particular focus on those factors having a negative impact.