HESITAÇÃO VACINAL ENTRE PROFISSIONAIS DE SAÚDE DA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA EM CAMPO GRANDE, MATO GROSSO DO SUL

Abstract

Vaccination is still the best measure for controlling vaccine-preventable diseases. However, in recent years there has been a drop in vaccination coverage, culminating in outbreaks of diseases that had been controlled for years. In this scenario, vaccine hesitancy, defined as the delay, fear or refusal to be vaccinated, despite the availability of vaccines in health services, has gained strength, heightened by the dissemination of false information about vaccines. This may also be present in health professionals, who are potential influencers for the vaccination of the general population, especially for those who work in primary health care units (PHC) that establish links with the patients they serve. Vaccine hesitancy is a complex phenomenon and needs to be better understood in order to contribute to planning actions to increase vaccination coverage to recommended levels. This work aims to evaluate vaccine hesitancy among primary care health professionals in Campo Grande-MS, understanding the factors that determine it. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out from November 2022 to August 2023, through the application of a structured questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO) assessment of vaccine hesitancy. All professionals working in PHC units in urban and rural areas participated in the research, selected by convenience sampling. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics (univariate and multivariate analysis) to verify the association of vaccine hesitancy with the study variables. 349 professionals from 73 health units were interviewed. Vaccine hesitancy was 26.9%, with predominance after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and in relation to vaccination against the pandemic virus. The average age of those who were hesitant was 40 years old, with a predominance of females, of non-white color/race, with completed higher education and an average income and professional experience longer than those who were not hesitant; however, these variables were not significant for hesitation. Professionals who provide direct care to patients such as doctors and nurses were less hesitant. The main reasons for hesitancy were fear of adverse events, previous bad experiences with vaccines and hearing negative information about vaccines. Being influenced by negative information about vaccines, knowing professionals who are hesitant to get vaccinated and to recommend vaccines, and having other pressures in their lives that prevent them from getting vaccinated were statistically significant for hesitancy. This study identified the presence of vaccine hesitancy among primary care health professionals, even for vaccines that have been established for years and highlights the complexity of this phenomenon in the study population, highlighting the need for better clarification of the factors that characterize this hesitancy as well as education of these professionals for better acceptance of vaccination, culminating in collective vaccination acceptance in the general population.