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. 2022 Nov 2;10(11):1858.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines10111858.

Secondary School Teachers and Outpatient Physicians: Differences in Attitudes towards Vaccination against COVID-19 in Slovakia

Maria Tatarkova  1 , Romana Ulbrichtova  1 , Viera Svihrova  1 , Jana Zibolenova  1 , Martin Novak  1 , Jan Svihra Jr  2 , Henrieta Hudeckova  1
Affiliations

Secondary School Teachers and Outpatient Physicians: Differences in Attitudes towards Vaccination against COVID-19 in Slovakia

Maria Tatarkova et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19 among secondary school teachers and outpatient physicians. A cross-sectional study was realised using anonymous questionnaires. The EPI Info 7 program and R software, version 4.0.2 were used for statistical analysis. The questionnaire was completed by 868 respondents (teaching staff N = 451; outpatient physician N = 417). The number of employees vaccinated against COVID-19 was 742 (85.5%). The number of those vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza (last season) was 192 (21.9%). The statistically significant predictors were the level of fear of COVID-19 (OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.29-1.52), profession-outpatient physicians (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.55-4.23), history of COVID-19 (OR 0.34; 95% CI 0.22-0.54), gender (OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.33-0.89) and influenza vaccination at any time in the past (OR 3.52; 95% CI 1.10-11.31). The strongest motivation for vaccination against COVID-19 among physicians was the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 during the performance of their profession (N = 336; 87%); among teachers, it was the protection of family members (N = 258; 73%). The most common reason for vaccine hesitancy was concern about vaccine safety (N = 80; 63.5%).

Keywords: COVID-19; influenza; outpatient physicians; teachers; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predictors of simultaneous vaccination against COVID-19 and seasonal influenza (last season) (multivariate logistic regression analysis). Note: * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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