Decision of health professionals about their anti-COVID-19 vaccination: integrative review

ABSTRACT

The vaccine decision of health professionals has been observed in different countries, due to their hesitation behavior in the face of vaccination against COVID-19, which can interfere with the control of the pandemic. It was intended to identify the factors associated with the vaccination decision of health professionals against COVID-19 in publications from July 2020 to July 2022. An Integrative Literature Review was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL databases. Of the 439 publications, 35 articles were chosen for analysis. The sociodemographic characteristics of the vaccine decision revealed that non-medical professionals, mainly nurses, had greater vaccine hesitancy. The study revealed factors associated with vaccine hesitancy, such as: doubts about the effectiveness of vaccines and the production process, insecurity due to lack of studies, fear of side effects and information conveyed on social media. Regarding vaccine acceptance and recommendation, prior vaccination against influenza, confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines and fear of the risk of contagion by COVID-19 stand out. Identifying the factors associated with the vaccination decision of health professionals against COVID-19 was strategic in relation to expanding vaccination coverage, both to protect the health of professionals and the population.

KEYWORDS
Vaccination; COVID-19; Vaccination hesitancy; Vaccination refusal; Health staff