Influenza Vaccination Coverage and Intention to Receive Hypothetical Ebola and COVID-19 Vaccines among Medical Students.

Ewa Talarek, Joanna Warzecha, Marcin Banasiuk, Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz
Author Information
  1. Ewa Talarek: Department of Children's Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
  2. Joanna Warzecha: University Children's Hospital of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
  3. Marcin Banasiuk: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland. ORCID
  4. Aleksandra Banaszkiewicz: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

The study aimed to determine influenza vaccine uptake among medical students and their intention to receive a hypothetical Ebola or COVID-19 vaccine. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed in 2015 and 2020 on 675 medical students at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. In 2020, the influenza vaccination coverage was 36.5%, and students were almost five times more likely to be vaccinated than in 2015 (OR = 4.8; 95% CI: 3.1-7.5). In 2020, the survey was conducted during the first university campaign targeted at free influenza vaccinations for all students, as well as during the first lockdown in Poland due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, clinical students (4th-6th study year) were significantly more often vaccinated than preclinical students ( < 0.001), in contrast to 2015. A majority-67.0% and 94.6%-of students expressed their intention to receive a hypothetical Ebola or COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. Among the medical students, influenza vaccination status was a predictor of the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Influenza vaccine uptake among medical students has increased significantly, but it is still not optimal; thus, further educational efforts are needed to convince those who are hesitant regarding vaccines. A high number of students reported their intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and it is crucial to support their positive attitude about it.

Keywords

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