When the first vaccine arrived: An investigation of factors that influenced the intention of health care workers in the national health system of Greece to be vaccinated against the SARS COV-2 virus during the first trimester of vaccine arrival.

Background: COVID-19 vaccination started in Greece in the last days of December 2020. Health care workers (HCWs) of the public national health system (NHS) were on the frontline and they would be role models for all the citizens.

Aim: Investigation of the intention and hesitation of HCWs (doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants) of the NHS of Greece, regarding the vaccine against SARS COV-2 virus and the factors that affect them, during the first trimester of the availability of vaccines, in the country.

Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Greece among health professionals (n = 2484) of the NHS. Data were collected with the use of an online questionnaire through snowballing sampling.

Results: Acceptance of a safe and effective COVID- 19 vaccines was higher among doctors (85.6%), followed by nurses (66.3%), and nursing assistants (64.1%). This study confirms pre-existing research on the interaction of gender, age, quality of personal information, educational level, training by the employer, and cognitive background regarding viruses and vaccines.

Conclusion: In conclusion, our study showed that once a vaccine was available, most HCWs were willing to be vaccinated. These findings could be used in the future to tailor communication and promotion campaigns, using anthropocentric strategies.