In a recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv*, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the perspectives of healthcare workers (HCW) in France and Belgium regarding monkeypox virus (MPXV) vaccination.
Study: Intentions to get vaccinated against monkeypox in healthcare workers in France and Belgium correlate with attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19. Image credit: Corona Borealis Studio/Shutterstock
background
Two years into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies have not determined attitudes toward vaccination against an emerging pathogen, particularly in France, where the government mandated high vaccine coverage for to TS However, it is certain that vaccines vaccines affect health workers and affect their vaccination status.
Europe is the epicenter of the recent MPXV outbreak, with thousands of cases reported as of August 2022. Reports have also noted cases among healthcare workers with no identified occupational exposure. Given the high risk to HCWs, particularly staff working in high-consequence infectious disease units, monkeypox units and outpatient sexual health clinics, the World Health Organization ( WHO) recommended that they be vaccinated against Monkeypox despite the limited supply of vaccines. .
About the study
In the present study, researchers administered an anonymous online survey between June 15, 2022 and August 8, 2022 using snowball sampling in France and Belgium. They assessed their attitudes towards monkeypox vaccination and identified factors associated with this attitude. These factors included demographic characteristics, the 7Cs of the Vaccination Readiness Scale, belief in public health agencies, government policies, pharmaceutical companies, the media, colleagues, and rush for a vaccine against COVID-19.
Results of the study
Among the 690 respondents to the survey, 397 were healthcare workers, of whom 260 were women. The mean age of TS was 59 years, 43.3 ± 12 years. The findings of the study revealed that in case of a specific recommendation for TS, 220 of the 397 TS respondents, corresponding to 55.4% of the total TS in the study, would accept vaccination.
Of these, 99 TS would be vaccinated as soon as possible, and 121 would probably be vaccinated, i.e. 30.5% and 24.5% of the total 397 TS, respectively. The remaining 88 were undecided, 49 probably would not receive the vaccine, and 40 were certain not to receive the vaccine. Of the 177 TS who did not intend to vaccinate against monkeypox, 96 would have changed their decision if the MPXV epidemic had spread to the general population. In this scenario, 79.1% of TS accepted the vaccine. About 38% of TSs reported having received the smallpox vaccine; however, this did not affect their outlook towards the monkeypox vaccine.
Conclusions
Complacency about MPXV may be hindering vaccine uptake and acceptance in TS. Widespread public messages focusing on mild infections that mainly affect men who have sex with men (MSM) may have led to feelings of complacency in HCWs. In addition, the large-scale use of PPE during epidemics (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic) may have given HCWs a sense of safety. In Israel, there was a case of a doctor who used personal protective equipment (PPE) but contracted MPXV infection, probably from contaminated bedding.
Therefore, even in the case of a specific recommendation, the acceptance rate of monkeypox vaccination observed in TS was not far from the acceptance rate of MSM in the Netherlands, which puts clearly the need to address the low perceived risk of job transfer. Furthermore, the findings of the study suggest that communication of possible occupational exposure to Monkeypox to HCWs is urgently warranted.
*Important news
medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or be treated as established information.