Editorial

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2 pages, 166 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0: A Commentary from Special Issue Editors

by Yutaka Ueda

Vaccines 2022, 10(3), 471; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines10030471 - 18 Mar 2022

Viewed by 1287

Abstract

The WHO has identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the 10 threats to global health [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

Research

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15 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the Threat of COVID-19 Infections on the Perceived Risk to HPV Vaccination

by Yumi Shimizu, Kei Hirai, Yutaka Ueda, Asami Yagi and Fumio Ohtake

Vaccines 2022, 10(5), 829; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines10050829 - 23 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2694

Abstract

Vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV) in Japan are significantly lower than other countries, and Japanese people are reluctant to be vaccinated. Repeated daily reports of COVID-19 infections and restrictions have made people more health conscious and aware of the danger of infectious [...] Read more.

Vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV) in Japan are significantly lower than other countries, and Japanese people are reluctant to be vaccinated. Repeated daily reports of COVID-19 infections and restrictions have made people more health conscious and aware of the danger of infectious diseases. In this study, we used the health belief model (HBM) to examine perceived threats of cancer and infectious diseases and to ascertain whether the new COVID-19 vaccination in addition to these perceived threats would increase vaccination intention against cervical cancer. We conducted a cluster analysis to classify the segmentation regarding the perceived threat, and a logistic regression analysis to predict factors influencing people accepting vaccination. We received 1257 completed surveys during our research. We classified the participants into six clusters, and the logistic regression analysis indicated eight factors significantly associated with the willingness to get the HPV vaccine: reliable information sources such as doctors and social networking sites (SNS), the recognition of COVID-19 symptoms, the awareness of COVID-19 vaccination, the importance of HPV prevention through vaccination, one’s own intention of COVID-19 vaccination, their intention of COVID-19 vaccination toward children, and benefits of HPV vaccination. Further research on HPV and COVID-19 vaccination is encouraged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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12 pages, 1571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations with SARS-CoV-2 Infections, ICU Admissions and Deaths in Greece

by Foteini Malli, Ioannis C. Lampropoulos, Dimitrios Papagiannis, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Zoe Daniil and Konstantinos I. Gourgoulianis

Vaccines 2022, 10(2), 337; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines10020337 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2114

Abstract

The available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have shown their effectiveness in clinical trials. We aimed to assess the real-world effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in Greece. We combined national data on vaccinations, SARS-CoV-2 cases, COVID-19-related ICU admissions and COVID-19-related deaths. We observed 3,367,673 [...] Read more.

The available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines have shown their effectiveness in clinical trials. We aimed to assess the real-world effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations in Greece. We combined national data on vaccinations, SARS-CoV-2 cases, COVID-19-related ICU admissions and COVID-19-related deaths. We observed 3,367,673 vaccinations (30.68% of the Greek population), 278,821 SARS-CoV-2 infections and 7401 COVID-19-related deaths. The vaccination rate significantly increased from week 2 to week 6 by 85.70%, and from week 7 to 25 by 15.65%. The weekly mean of SARS-CoV-2 cases, COVID-19 ICU patients and COVID-19 deaths markedly declined as vaccination coverage accumulated. The rate of SARS-CoV-2 cases increased significantly from week 2 to week 13 by 16.15%, while from weeks 14–25 the rate decreased significantly by 13.50%. The rate of COVID-19-related ICU admissions decreased significantly by 7.41% from week 2 to week 4, increased significantly by 17.22% from weeks 5–11, then decreased significantly from weeks 17–20, by 11.99%, and from weeks 21–25, by 16.77%. The rate of COVID-19-related deaths increased significantly from week 2 to week 15 by 12.08% and decreased significantly by 16.58% from weeks 16–25. The data from this nationwide observational study underline the beneficial impact of the national vaccination campaign in Greece, which may offer control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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11 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Initial Mix-and-Match COVID-19 Vaccination Perceptions, Concerns, and Side Effects across Canadians

by Adam Palanica and Jouhyun Jeon

Vaccines 2022, 10(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10010093 - 09 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2690

Abstract

Research indicates that mixing the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine types (i.e., adenoviral vector and mRNA) produces potent immune responses against the coronavirus, but it is unclear how individuals may perceive these benefits, or whether there are different concerns compared to individuals [...] Read more.

Research indicates that mixing the first two doses of COVID-19 vaccine types (i.e., adenoviral vector and mRNA) produces potent immune responses against the coronavirus, but it is unclear how individuals may perceive these benefits, or whether there are different concerns compared to individuals who received two doses of the same vaccine. This research examines the demographic characteristics, psychological perceptions, and vaccination-related opinions and experiences of a large Canadian sample (N = 1002) who had received two initial doses of any COVID-19 vaccine combination. Participants included 791 (78.9%) who received two doses of the exact same brand and type of vaccine, 164 (16.4%) who received two doses of the same type of vaccine (i.e., either mRNA or adenoviral vector) but from different brands (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech + Moderna), and 47 (4.7%) who received two doses from different types and brands of vaccine (e.g., Oxford-AstraZeneca + Pfizer-BioNTech). Results showed that, after the first vaccine dose, participants who received an adenoviral vector vaccine (e.g., Oxford-AstraZeneca) experienced the highest number of common side effects, and more severe levels of each side effect compared to those who received an mRNA vaccine (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). After the second dose, participants who received Moderna as their second vaccine experienced the highest number of and most severe side effects, regardless of whether they received Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, or Oxford-AstraZeneca as their first dose. Real-world implications of these findings are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

19 pages, 1134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Universal Predictors of Dental Students’ Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Machine Learning-Based Approach

by Abanoub Riad, Yi Huang, Huthaifa Abdulqader, Mariana Morgado, Silvi Domnori, Michal Koščík, José João Mendes, Miloslav Klugar, Elham Kateeb and IADS-SCORE

Vaccines 2021, 9(10), 1158; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9101158 - 10 Oct 2021

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5140

Abstract

Background: young adults represent a critical target for mass-vaccination strategies of COVID-19 that aim to achieve herd immunity. Healthcare students, including dental students, are perceived as the upper echelon of health literacy; therefore, their health-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors influence their peers and [...] Read more.

Background: young adults represent a critical target for mass-vaccination strategies of COVID-19 that aim to achieve herd immunity. Healthcare students, including dental students, are perceived as the upper echelon of health literacy; therefore, their health-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors influence their peers and communities. The main aim of this study was to synthesize a data-driven model for the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine willingness among dental students. Methods: a secondary analysis of data extracted from a recently conducted multi-center and multi-national cross-sectional study of dental students’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in 22 countries was carried out utilizing decision tree and regression analyses. Based on previous literature, a proposed conceptual model was developed and tested through a machine learning approach to elicit factors related to dental students’ willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: machine learning analysis suggested five important predictors of COVID-19 vaccination willingness among dental students globally, i.e., the economic level of the country where the student lives and studies, the individual’s trust of the pharmaceutical industry, the individual’s misconception of natural immunity, the individual’s belief of vaccines risk-benefit-ratio, and the individual’s attitudes toward novel vaccines. Conclusions: according to the socio-ecological theory, the country’s economic level was the only contextual predictor, while the rest were individual predictors. Future research is recommended to be designed in a longitudinal fashion to facilitate evaluating the proposed model. The interventions of controlling vaccine hesitancy among the youth population may benefit from improving their views of the risk-benefit ratio of COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, healthcare students, including dental students, will likely benefit from increasing their awareness of immunization and infectious diseases through curricular amendments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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10 pages, 253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reported COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Associated Factors among Members of Athens Medical Association: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study

by Georgios Marinos, Dimitris Lamprinos, Panagiotis Georgakopoulos, Georgios Patoulis, Georgia Vogiatzi, Christos Damaskos, Anastasia Papaioannou, Anastasia Sofroni, Theodoros Pouletidis, Dimitrios Papagiannis, Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis, Kostas Konstantopoulos and Georgios Rachiotis

Vaccines 2021, 9(10), 1134; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9101134 - 04 Oct 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2391

Abstract

There are limited data on the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination coverage among physicians. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online study was conducted among the members of the Athens Medical Association (I.S.A.) over the period 25 February to 13 March 2021. All members of [...] Read more.

There are limited data on the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination coverage among physicians. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based, online study was conducted among the members of the Athens Medical Association (I.S.A.) over the period 25 February to 13 March 2021. All members of I.S.A. were invited to participate in the anonymous online survey. A structured, anonymous questionnaire was used. Overall, 1993 physicians participated in the survey. The reported vaccination coverage was 85.3%. The main reasons of no vaccination were pending vaccination appointment followed by safety concerns. Participants being informed about the COVID-19 vaccines by social media resulted in lower COVID-19 vaccination coverage than health workers being informed by other sources. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that no fear over COVID-19 vaccination-related side effects, history of influenza vaccination for flu season 2020–2021, and the perception that the information on COVID-19 vaccination from the national public health authorities is reliable, were independent factors of reported COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Our results demonstrate a considerable improvement of the COVID-19 vaccination uptake among Greek physicians. The finding that participants reported high reliability of the information related to COVID-19 vaccination provided by the Greek public health authorities is an opportunity which should be broadly exploited by policymakers in order to combat vaccination hesitancy, and further improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake and coverage among physicians/HCWs, and the general population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

16 pages, 747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predictors of Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine: Cross-Sectional Study of Palestinian Dental Students

by Elham Kateeb, Mayar Danadneh, Andrea Pokorná, Jitka Klugarová, Huthaifa Abdulqader, Miloslav Klugar and Abanoub Riad

Vaccines 2021, 9(9), 954; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9090954 - 26 Aug 2021

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 4976

Abstract

The overarching aim of this study was to assess the predictors related to the willingness of Palestinian dental students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a universal sample of dental students in the Palestinian [...] Read more.

The overarching aim of this study was to assess the predictors related to the willingness of Palestinian dental students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a universal sample of dental students in the Palestinian territories. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine was related to the following factors: Demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experiences, beliefs and knowledge about the vaccine, attitudes toward vaccinations in general, and other factors outlined by the WHO SAGE Vaccination Hesitancy Questionnaire. Four hundred and seventeen students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 41.7%). In general, 57.8% (n = 241) were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available to them, 27% (n = 114) were hesitant, and 14.9% (n = 62) were not willing to get vaccinated. The final regression model explained 46% of the variation in the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: Attitudes towards new vaccines (β = 6.23, p < 0.001), believing in a favorable risk–benefit ratio (β = 5.64, p < 0.001), trust in the pharmaceutical industry (β = 5.92, p = 0.001), believing that natural immunity is better than being vaccinated (β = −4.24, p < 0.001), and having enough information about the vaccine (β = 4.12, p < 0.001). Adequate information about vaccines, their risk–benefit ratios, and natural and acquired immunity are important to build trust and favorable attitudes towards vaccines among future dentists. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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25 pages, 2053 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence and Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Czech University Students: National Cross-Sectional Study

by Abanoub Riad, Andrea Pokorná, Natália Antalová, Martin Krobot, Nutsa Zviadadze, Iryna Serdiuk, Michal Koščík and Miloslav Klugar

Vaccines 2021, 9(9), 948; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9090948 - 25 Aug 2021

Cited by 64 | Viewed by 6709

Abstract

Background: university students are believed to retain the highest levels of health literacy. They are perceived as the opinion leaders within their communities; therefore, their health-related beliefs and attitudes are deemed important for public health campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 [...] Read more.

Background: university students are believed to retain the highest levels of health literacy. They are perceived as the opinion leaders within their communities; therefore, their health-related beliefs and attitudes are deemed important for public health campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy drivers among university students in the Czech Republic. Methods: a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out in the weeks before the unrestricted vaccine deployment to Czech adults. The questionnaire had 21 multiple-choice items stratified in 4 categories; demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis and influenza vaccine experience, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and the possible drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy suggested by the WHO-SAGE. Results: out of the 1351 included students, 66.8% were females, 84.5% were Czech nationals, and 40.6% enrolled in healthcare programs. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance level was 73.3%, 19.3% of participants were vaccine-resistant, and only 7.4% were vaccine-hesitant. Trust in the pharmaceutical industry, trust in healthcare providers, and perceived knowledge sufficiency predicted higher odds of vaccine acceptance. In contrast, media and social media, personal beliefs, immunity misconception, previous COVID-19 infection, and suspicions about novel vaccines and the local availability predicted higher odds of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: The findings of this study predict a fair probability to achieve community immunity (herd immunity) among the target population group. The primary prevention strategies in the Czech Republic need to be culturally sensitive and inclusive for foreign nationals. As one-quarter of the participating students are dependent on vaccine safety data, this study findings support the call for independent studies evaluating the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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11 pages, 229 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparisons of Motivation to Receive COVID-19 Vaccination and Related Factors between Frontline Physicians and Nurses and the Public in Taiwan: Applying the Extended Protection Motivation Theory

by Yen-Ju Lin, Cheng-Fang Yen, Yu-Ping Chang and Peng-Wei Wang

Vaccines 2021, 9(5), 528; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vaccines9050528 - 20 May 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3076

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the differences in motivation to receive a COVID-19 vaccination between frontline physicians and nurses and the Taiwanese public. The associations of threat and coping appraisals, as described in Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), with motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination [...] Read more.

This study aimed to compare the differences in motivation to receive a COVID-19 vaccination between frontline physicians and nurses and the Taiwanese public. The associations of threat and coping appraisals, as described in Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), with motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination were compared between these groups, too. We recruited 279 frontline physicians and nurses and 768 members of the public by a Facebook advertisement. Participants’ motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination, perceived severity of and vulnerability to COVID-19, self-efficacy and response efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination, response cost of COVID-19 vaccination, and knowledge about the mechanism of COVID-19 vaccination in light of PMT were determined. The results demonstrated that frontline health workers had higher motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination than the public. Response efficacy and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination were positively associated with motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination in both frontline health workers and the public, whereas perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, and response cost of COVID-19 vaccination were positively associated with motivation in the public but not in frontline physicians and nurses. The factors related to motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination should be considered when designing programs to increase motivation to receive COVID-19 vaccination among frontline health workers and the public. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Consciousness and Behavior towards Infectious Diseases and Vaccines 2.0)

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