COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Rates Still Vary Among Pharmacy Professionals
A majority of survey respondents were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Although many pharmacy professionals feel it is their professional duty to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to recommend the vaccine to their patients, acceptance of the vaccines still varies, according to a poster presented at the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Summer Meetings and Exhibition.
In April 2021, investigators conducted a cross-sectional online survey of pharmacy professionals, which included questions about demographics, vaccination behavior, and behavioral determinants that might influence vaccination.
The survey was distributed to 2400 pharmacy professionals, with a response rate of 37.4% (n=1065). A majority of respondents expressed their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, while those who previously refused the influenza vaccine were more likely to refuse COVID-19 vaccines as well.
Mean overall percentage score of behavioral determinants that influenced vaccine acceptance and advocacy were 31.2±19.6 and 36.5±28.2, respectively (scale, -100 to 100). Vaccine acceptance was lower among respondents who had refused any vaccines in the past (33.2±18.9 vs 28.7±20.1).
Researchers also identified the main barriers to vaccine acceptance, which included vaccine safety, speed of vaccine development, and cultural influence.
“Most participants expressed an interest [in receiving] the COVID-19 vaccines and considered it as their professional duty to recommend the use of the vaccine,” the researchers concluded. “However, they were unsure if patients would accept their advice.”
Investigators hope that these study findings will assist the development of individually targeted behavior change interventions.
Reference
Thomas B. Behaviors and associated determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and advocacy: A cross-sectional study of pharmacy professionals using the theoretical domains framework. Presented at: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2022 Summer Meetings & Exhibition; June 11-15, 2022; Phoenix, AZ. Poster 20-M.
