The Effect of Combining the COVID-19 Vaccine with the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine on Reducing COVID-19 Vaccine Rejection Among Libyans
(2023) In Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 13(2). p.292-302- Abstract
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage remains low in Libya compared to other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study aimed to evaluate the willingness of the general public in Libya to receive COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential effect of combining the two vaccines to reduce COVID-19 vaccine rejection. Methods: An anonymous nationwide online cross-sectional survey was carried out from 1st September to 16th October 2022. Libyans aged 18 years or older were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The participants were surveyed for sociodemographic information, health status, and vaccination attitude towards... (More)
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage remains low in Libya compared to other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study aimed to evaluate the willingness of the general public in Libya to receive COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential effect of combining the two vaccines to reduce COVID-19 vaccine rejection. Methods: An anonymous nationwide online cross-sectional survey was carried out from 1st September to 16th October 2022. Libyans aged 18 years or older were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The participants were surveyed for sociodemographic information, health status, and vaccination attitude towards COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Results: A total of 2484 participants formed the final study sample: 68.7% were females, 39.4% were aged 18–25 years, 50.4% were single, 32.5% had previous COVID-19 infection, and 47.2% experienced COVID-19 death among relatives. Three-fourths of the respondents showed COVID-19 vaccine rejection: 57.3% did not receive COVID-19 vaccination, 10.1% would not complete the primary vaccination series, and 7.8% refused booster doses. About 55.0% rejected seasonal influenza vaccination, while 1.9% reported influenza vaccine uptake and 21.2% were willing to get the influenza vaccine for the first time. Additionally, 18.8% had already received influenza vaccination in the last year and intended to get the vaccine this season, while 3.3% were unwilling to get influenza vaccination this year despite receiving it in the last influenza season. Age, sex, and occupation were significantly associated with COVID-19 and influenza vaccine rejection. Rejection of COVID-19 vaccination decreased if its combination with influenza vaccine as a single dose was suggested, with 28.2% of the COVID-19 vaccine rejector group accepting the combined vaccine as it would be safer (50.9%), needing fewer injections (24.0%), would be more effective (19.1%), and would be less expensive (3%). Approximately 73.0% of the COVID-19 vaccine rejector group refused this combination due to fear of side effects (48.7%), absence of published studies on this combination (29.8%), and considering this combination as useless (11.2%). Conclusion: In Libya, the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine rejection was high, while the rejection of seasonal influenza vaccination was relatively lower. If influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are administered simultaneously as a single injection, this may reduce the rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine due to better-perceived vaccine safety and efficacy besides being more convenient in terms of the number of injections and cost.
(Less)
- author
- Ghazy, Ramy Mohamed ; Sallam, Malik LU ; Abdullah, Fatimah Saed Alabd ; Hussein, Mai and Hussein, Mohamed Fakhry
- organization
- publishing date
- 2023-06
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Booster dose acceptance, COVID-19 vaccine, Influenza vaccine, Libya, Vaccine hesitancy
- in
- Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
- volume
- 13
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 11 pages
- publisher
- Atlantis Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:37171545
- scopus:85159313632
- ISSN
- 2210-6006
- DOI
- 10.1007/s44197-023-00107-2
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 928f47c3-b3ad-4728-96fa-e2b74654f41a
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-14 15:10:36
- date last changed
- 2024-04-20 00:32:11
@article{928f47c3-b3ad-4728-96fa-e2b74654f41a,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine coverage remains low in Libya compared to other countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study aimed to evaluate the willingness of the general public in Libya to receive COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential effect of combining the two vaccines to reduce COVID-19 vaccine rejection. Methods: An anonymous nationwide online cross-sectional survey was carried out from 1st September to 16th October 2022. Libyans aged 18 years or older were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The participants were surveyed for sociodemographic information, health status, and vaccination attitude towards COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Results: A total of 2484 participants formed the final study sample: 68.7% were females, 39.4% were aged 18–25 years, 50.4% were single, 32.5% had previous COVID-19 infection, and 47.2% experienced COVID-19 death among relatives. Three-fourths of the respondents showed COVID-19 vaccine rejection: 57.3% did not receive COVID-19 vaccination, 10.1% would not complete the primary vaccination series, and 7.8% refused booster doses. About 55.0% rejected seasonal influenza vaccination, while 1.9% reported influenza vaccine uptake and 21.2% were willing to get the influenza vaccine for the first time. Additionally, 18.8% had already received influenza vaccination in the last year and intended to get the vaccine this season, while 3.3% were unwilling to get influenza vaccination this year despite receiving it in the last influenza season. Age, sex, and occupation were significantly associated with COVID-19 and influenza vaccine rejection. Rejection of COVID-19 vaccination decreased if its combination with influenza vaccine as a single dose was suggested, with 28.2% of the COVID-19 vaccine rejector group accepting the combined vaccine as it would be safer (50.9%), needing fewer injections (24.0%), would be more effective (19.1%), and would be less expensive (3%). Approximately 73.0% of the COVID-19 vaccine rejector group refused this combination due to fear of side effects (48.7%), absence of published studies on this combination (29.8%), and considering this combination as useless (11.2%). Conclusion: In Libya, the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine rejection was high, while the rejection of seasonal influenza vaccination was relatively lower. If influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are administered simultaneously as a single injection, this may reduce the rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine due to better-perceived vaccine safety and efficacy besides being more convenient in terms of the number of injections and cost.</p>}},
author = {{Ghazy, Ramy Mohamed and Sallam, Malik and Abdullah, Fatimah Saed Alabd and Hussein, Mai and Hussein, Mohamed Fakhry}},
issn = {{2210-6006}},
keywords = {{Booster dose acceptance; COVID-19 vaccine; Influenza vaccine; Libya; Vaccine hesitancy}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{292--302}},
publisher = {{Atlantis Press}},
series = {{Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health}},
title = {{The Effect of Combining the COVID-19 Vaccine with the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine on Reducing COVID-19 Vaccine Rejection Among Libyans}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s44197-023-00107-2}},
doi = {{10.1007/s44197-023-00107-2}},
volume = {{13}},
year = {{2023}},
}