Journal article
Vaccines, 2022
Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics
University of Florida
Associate Professor
Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics
University of Florida
APA
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Macewan, S., Gaughan, A., Gregory, M., Rush, L., Powell, J. R., Kurth, J. D., … McAlearney, A. (2022). An Opportunity to Understand Concerns about COVID-19 Vaccination: Perspectives from EMS Professionals. Vaccines.
Chicago/Turabian
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Macewan, Sarah, A. Gaughan, M. Gregory, L. Rush, Jonathan R Powell, Jordan D Kurth, A. Panchal, and A. McAlearney. “An Opportunity to Understand Concerns about COVID-19 Vaccination: Perspectives from EMS Professionals.” Vaccines (2022).
MLA
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Macewan, Sarah, et al. “An Opportunity to Understand Concerns about COVID-19 Vaccination: Perspectives from EMS Professionals.” Vaccines, 2022.
BibTeX Click to copy
@article{sarah2022a,
title = {An Opportunity to Understand Concerns about COVID-19 Vaccination: Perspectives from EMS Professionals},
year = {2022},
journal = {Vaccines},
author = {Macewan, Sarah and Gaughan, A. and Gregory, M. and Rush, L. and Powell, Jonathan R and Kurth, Jordan D and Panchal, A. and McAlearney, A.}
}
Some healthcare professionals, including emergency medical service (EMS) professionals, remain hesitant about receiving COVID-19 vaccines. This study sought to understand EMS professionals’ perspectives regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Using open-ended comments from a national survey deployed electronically to over 19,000 EMS professionals in April of 2021, we examined perspectives about acceptance of and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines. Survey comments revealed differences in perspectives between vaccinated and unvaccinated EMS professionals regarding their personal role in improving public health through COVID-19 vaccination as well as vaccine benefits and the protection conferred by vaccination. Unvaccinated individuals also expressed concerns over the research and development of the COVID-19 vaccines that led to their decision not to get vaccinated. Individuals who were vaccinated suggested ways to increase uptake of the vaccine including having healthcare professionals serve as leaders for vaccination and educating individuals about COVID-19 vaccination through credible resources. Vaccine hesitancy remains a challenge to achieving herd immunity to COVID-19 through vaccination, even among healthcare professionals. Understanding the perspectives of those who have chosen not to be vaccinated can help direct strategies to reduce confusion and concerns. The perspectives of vaccinated individuals may also be valuable in identifying opportunities to promote vaccination in the professional setting.