COVID-19 Vaccine Practices and Perceptions Among an Academic Healthcare Community

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a driving force for the evaluation of nextgeneration vaccine technology platforms through novel paradigms to accelerate vaccine development and administration. However, vaccine acceptance is influenced by many factors, including social influences and community-based interventions. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination climate on an academic health professions community of students, faculty, and staff. An anonymous, 29-item survey was developed with questions pertaining to demographics, COVID-19 infection, vaccine practices and hesitancy. A total of 583 students, faculty, and staff from multiple health professions at a single academic institution completed the survey. A higher number of students agreed that they “feel socially pressured to get the COVID-19 vaccine” as compared to faculty/staff (39.3% vs. 18.2%, p<0.001). In addition, a lower number of students agreed that “the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks” compared to faculty/staff (85.9% vs. 92.8%, p=0.039). Moreover, a lower number of students disagreed with the statement “healthcare workers/students should have the right to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine that is required by their employer/ institution” compared to faculty/staff (40.2% vs. 68.9%, p<0.001). These were among 11 of the statistically divergent responses that gaged vaccine hesitancy. This study provides insight into the perceptions of vaccines from students, faculty, and staff within an interprofessional healthcare community and highlights the need for vaccine education early in health professions curricula.