Research led by the University of Minnesota Medical School, published in Vaccine, found that the majority of healthcare workers were accepting of COVID-19 vaccines.
"Healthcare workers are invaluable, serving communities at the critical link between public and individual health, particularly in immigrant communities," said William Stauffer, MD, MSPH, FASTMH, a professor in the U of M Medical School and Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility. "They provide individuals with trustworthy information about vaccines and offer public health agencies insight and guidance for vaccine efforts."
The researchers — with collaboration from the Migrant Clinicians Network and National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants — found that nearly 90% of healthcare workers surveyed were vaccine-acceptant, with those serving immigrant communities being more accepting than those who did not. Healthcare workers who reported having at least one concern on vaccination were more common to report that their patients also had misgivings.
Surveyed healthcare workers ranked educational information as most helpful for them and colleagues. Additionally, 50% said patients found that a provider recommending vaccination during an interpersonal encounter was most helpful in making a decision.
"Our research supports that healthcare workers can help guide public health efforts by providing real-time information about attitudes toward vaccines and optimal communication methods," said Christine Thomas, DO, an infectious diseases fellow at the U of M Medical School.
Researchers recommend further studying of the relationship between patient and healthcare worker perspectives on vaccines to better understand how information is shared and affects the vaccine decision-making processes.
This research was funded by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the International Organization for Migration through an award to the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants. Thomas' fellowship is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.
