TY - JOUR
T1 - Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Dental Professionals
T2 - A Multi-Country Survey
AU - Nassani, Mohammad Zakaria
AU - Noushad, Mohammed
AU - Rastam, Samer
AU - Hussain, Mudassir
AU - Alsalhani, Anas B.
AU - Al-Saqqaf, Inas Shakeeb
AU - Alali, Faisal Mehsen
AU - Demachkia, Amir Mohiddin
AU - de Melo, Renata Marques
AU - Arshad, Mohammed
AU - Luddin, Norhayati
AU - Husein, Adam
AU - Qamar, Zeeshan
AU - Koppolu, Pradeep
AU - Darwish, Mahmoud
AU - Nassar, Ahmad Salim Abdalla
AU - Habib, Adnan
AU - Suleyman, Firas
AU - Khanam, H. M.Khuthija
AU - Yousief, Salah A.
AU - Al-Maweri, Sadeq Ali
AU - Tabassum, Nafeesa
AU - Samran, Abdulaziz
AU - Dimashkieh, Mohiddin R.
AU - Al-Awar, Mohammed Sadeg
AU - Tarakji, Bassel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Purpose: This study sought to investigate the acceptance rate and associated factors of COVID-19 vaccines among dentists and dental students in seven countries. Material and Methods: A structured questionnaire prepared and guided by the report of the SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy was distributed among groups of dentists and dental students in seven countries across four continents. Results: A total of 1527 subjects (850 dentists and 677 dental students) participated in this survey. Although 72.5% of the respondents reported their intention to accept COVID-19 vaccines (dentists: 74.4%, dental students: 70.2%), there was a significant difference in agreement between dentists/dental students across countries; generally, respondents in upper-middle-, and high-income countries (UM-HICs) showed significantly higher acceptance rates compared to those in low- and lower-middle income countries (L-LMICs). Potential predictors of higher vaccine acceptance included being a dentist, being free of comorbidity, being well-informed about COVID-19 vaccines, having better knowledge about COVID-19 complications, having anxiety about COVID-19 infection, having no concerns about the side effects of the produced vaccines and being a resident of an UM-HIC. Conclusion: The results of our survey indicate a relatively good acceptance rate of COVID-19 among the surveyed dentists and dental students. However, dentists and dental students in L-LMICs showed significantly lower vaccine acceptance rates and trust in COVID-19 vaccines compared to their counterparts in UM-HICs. Our results provide important information to policymakers, highlighting the need for implementation of country-specific vaccine promotion strategies, with special focus on L-LMICs.
AB - Purpose: This study sought to investigate the acceptance rate and associated factors of COVID-19 vaccines among dentists and dental students in seven countries. Material and Methods: A structured questionnaire prepared and guided by the report of the SAGE Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy was distributed among groups of dentists and dental students in seven countries across four continents. Results: A total of 1527 subjects (850 dentists and 677 dental students) participated in this survey. Although 72.5% of the respondents reported their intention to accept COVID-19 vaccines (dentists: 74.4%, dental students: 70.2%), there was a significant difference in agreement between dentists/dental students across countries; generally, respondents in upper-middle-, and high-income countries (UM-HICs) showed significantly higher acceptance rates compared to those in low- and lower-middle income countries (L-LMICs). Potential predictors of higher vaccine acceptance included being a dentist, being free of comorbidity, being well-informed about COVID-19 vaccines, having better knowledge about COVID-19 complications, having anxiety about COVID-19 infection, having no concerns about the side effects of the produced vaccines and being a resident of an UM-HIC. Conclusion: The results of our survey indicate a relatively good acceptance rate of COVID-19 among the surveyed dentists and dental students. However, dentists and dental students in L-LMICs showed significantly lower vaccine acceptance rates and trust in COVID-19 vaccines compared to their counterparts in UM-HICs. Our results provide important information to policymakers, highlighting the need for implementation of country-specific vaccine promotion strategies, with special focus on L-LMICs.
KW - COVID-19
KW - dental students
KW - dentists
KW - high-income
KW - low-income
KW - vaccine acceptance
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85140750860
U2 - 10.3390/vaccines10101614
DO - 10.3390/vaccines10101614
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85140750860
SN - 2076-393X
VL - 10
JO - Vaccines
JF - Vaccines
IS - 10
M1 - 1614
ER -