| Abstrakt: |
Background and Aim: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral pandemic that has infected millions of people that has caused the loss of human lives on an unprecedented scale. India being the second-most populous country in the world has been severely impacted by COVID-19. India began its vaccination drive on 16th January 2021 with a huge burden of 1.3 billion people to be vaccinated. Various factors play their role to predict the success or failure of a vaccination drive. The study was aimed to assess knowledge, belief, barriers, and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers of a tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on healthcare workers (HCW) in February 2021. 120 HCWs participated in the study after providing their consent. Data were collected using a semi-structured proforma which included basic sociodemographic details, a questionnaire about acceptance, knowledge, beliefs, and barriers against the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: The mean age of the sample was found to be 36.5 years. Average knowledge, calculated by assessing the mean responses to all the questions pertaining to knowledge, was found to be 78%, while an average of 73.5% had positive beliefs regarding the vaccine for COVID-19. Concern over side effects and doubts over vaccine efficacy turned out to be the greatest barriers contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Acceptance rates of 87.4% were obtained across all the samples. Conclusion: Physician recommendation, acceptance by peers or family, and more studies to prove vaccine efficacy was widely acceptable cues to encourage vaccination. The study with its key findings could be a helpful aid in policymaking to boost India's vaccination drive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
