Role of Occupational Health Services in Planning and Implementing of Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic: A Tertiary Hospital Experience in Singapore.

Autor:	Lim SM; Occupational Health Clinic, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore., Chan HC; Epidemiology Unit, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore., Santosa A; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore., Quek SC; Chairman Medical Board's Office, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore., Liu EHC; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore.; Department of Anaesthesia, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore., Somani J; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore.; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore 119074, Singapore.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2022 Oct 31; Vol. 19 (21). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 31.
DOI:	10.3390/ijerph192114217
Abstrakt:	Context: Healthcare workers all over the world were prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 in view of the high-risk nature of their job scopes when vaccines were first available in late 2020. Vaccine hesitancy was an important problem to tackle in order to achieve a high vaccination rate, especially for vaccines that were developed using mRNA technology. We aimed to use the '3Cs' model to address vaccine hesitancy to ensure maximal uptake of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Methods: Various measures were used to reduce the confidence, complacency, and convenience barriers. The staff vaccination clinic was on-site and centralized, with appointments given in advance to ensure vaccine availability and to reduce wait time, providing convenience to staff. Direct and repeated communications with the staff via multiple channels were used to address vaccine safety and efficacy so as to promote confidence in the vaccines and overcome complacency barriers. To further encourage staff to get vaccinated, staff were allowed time off for vaccination when at work. Staff with a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 or those caring for immunocompromised patients were prioritized to take the vaccines first. The collection of data on adverse events was via on-site monitoring and consultation at Occupational Health Clinic (OHC). Results: Nearly 80% of staff had completed vaccination when the vaccination exercise ended at the end of March 2021. With the loosening of the contraindications to vaccination over time, staff vaccination rates reached 89.3% in early July and nearly 99.9% by the end of the year. No major or serious vaccine-related medication or administration errors were reported. No staff had anaphylaxis. Conclusions: By using the '3Cs' model to plan out the vaccination exercise, it is possible to achieve a high vaccination rate coupled with effective and customized communications. This multi-disciplinary team approach can be adapted to guide vaccination efforts in various settings in future pandemics.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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