COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers in the United Arab Emirates.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Latifa Mohammad Baynouna AlKetbi, Ambulatory Healthcare Services, Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services; Jad A Elharake, Yale Institute for Global Health; Shammah A Memari, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center; Shereena A Mazrouei, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center; Badreyya A Shehhi, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center; Amyn A Malik, Yale Institute for Global Health; Sarah M McFadden, Yale Institute for Global Health; Bayan Galal, Yale University, New Haven; Inci Yildirim, Emory University; Kaveh Khoshnood, Yale School of Public Health; Saad B Omer, Yale Institute for Global Health; Ziad Memish, Emory University; Amal A AlZarouni, Ambulatory Healthcare Services, Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services; Amna M AlNeyadi, Ambulatory Healthcare Services, Abu Dhabi Healthcare Services, Al Ain, UAE.; Farida A Hosani, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Communicable Disease Sector, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-12
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 The Author(s)
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2021.08.003
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: IJID Reg
• Volume: 1
• Start Page: 20
• End Page: 26
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by the Yale Institute for Global Health. Funders played no role in: (1) study design; (2) the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; (3) the writing of the manuscript; or 4) the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors had full access to the data and are responsible for the findings presented in this manuscript.
• Keywords: COVID-19; UAE; trust; healthcare workers; vaccine acceptance
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nursing

Abstract

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers (HCWs) is a threat to any healthcare system. Vaccine hesitancy can increase infection risk among HCWs and patients, while also impacting the patients' decision to accept the vaccine. Our study assessed COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among HCWs in United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: Using purposive sampling, UAE HCWs registered in the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH) email database were invited to complete an online questionnaire, between November 2020 and February 2021, to understand COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, and trust in sources of information. Simple logistic regression was used to assess the associations between demographic factors with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. RESULTS: Of the 2832 HCWs who participated in the study, 1963 (69.9%) were aged between 25 and 44 years and 1748 (61.7%) were females. Overall, 2525 (89.2%) of the HCW population said they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine. HCWs who were 55+ years of age, male, and physicians/surgeons were more likely to accept a COVID-19 vaccine (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.2, p = 0.002; OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.4, p < 0.001; and OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9; p = 0.01, respectively). The most reliable sources for COVID-19 vaccine information were the UAE government (91.6%), healthcare providers (86.8%), health officials (86.3%), and the World Health Organization (WHO; 81.1%). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was high among the UAE HCW population. Several factors were identified as significant determinants of vaccine acceptance. UAE healthcare authorities can utilize these findings to develop public health messaging campaigns for HCWs to best address COVID-19 vaccine concerns - particularly when the government is vaccinating its general population.