top of page
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute
Asian Institute of Research, Journal Publication, Journal Academics, Education Journal, Asian Institute

Journal of Health and Medical Sciences

ISSN 2622-7258

Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 1.24.09 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 1.24.02 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 1.23.57 AM.png
Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 1.23.52 AM.png
crossref
doi
open access

Published: 14 June 2024

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance Among Medical Students in Helmand, Afghanistan

Abdul Tawab Khpalwak, Abdul Rahman Arian, Ali Ahmad

Bost University (Afghanistan), Helmand University (Afghanistan)

journal of social and political sciences
pdf download

Download Full-Text Pdf

doi

10.31014/aior.1994.07.02.320

Pages: 88-96

Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccine Hesitancy, Medical Students, Vaccine Acceptance, COVID-19 Afghanistan

Abstract

Background/Objective: This study aimed to identify COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical students in Helmand, Afghanistan, and its contributing factors. The findings will be presented to key healthcare organizations for peer review and used to develop a regional Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) strategy to increase national vaccine acceptance among medical students. Methods: This study employed a structured approach consisting of three steps. First, a paper-based Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) questionnaire was developed and tested for efficacy and understanding. Second, using Yamane's formula to determine the appropriate sample size, a population-based stratified sampling method was employed to select 200 respondents from 937 medical students in 21 classes. Results: A survey conducted in February 2022 revealed a high percentage (38.6%, or 56 out of 145) of medical students hesitant to receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in Helmand, Afghanistan. Factors contributing to this hesitancy include a lack of information about COVID-19 vaccination, doubts about its adverse effects, and fear of long-term sequelae associated with immunization. Conclusion: The results of this study provide valuable insights for professors, policymakers, and health organizations to address factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical students. Approaches such as RCCE campaigns, public awareness initiatives, and incorporating a dedicated vaccination chapter into the medical curriculum can minimize hesitancy and increase vaccine acceptance. Addressing vaccine hesitancy is crucial to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of medical students at higher risk due to their proximity to infected populations.

References

  1. Adam,  A. M. (2020). Sample Size Determination in Survey Research. Journal of  Scientific Research and Reports, 90–97. https://doi.org/10.9734/JSRR/2020/V26I530263

  2. Afghanistan:  WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data | WHO  Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data. (n.d.-a). Retrieved November 11,  2023, from https://covid19.who.int/region/emro/country/af

  3. Afghanistan:  WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data | WHO  Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard With Vaccination Data. (n.d.-b). Retrieved November 12,  2023, from https://covid19.who.int/region/emro/country/af

  4. Ahmadi,  A., Essar, M. Y., Lin, X., Adebisi, Y. A., & Lucero-Prisno, D. E. (2020).  Polio in Afghanistan: The Current Situation amid COVID-19. The American  Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 103(4), 1367–1369.  https://doi.org/10.4269/AJTMH.20-1010

  5. Barello,  S., Nania, T., Dellafiore, F., Graffigna, G., & Caruso, R. (2020).  â€˜Vaccine hesitancy’ among university students in Italy during the COVID-19  pandemic. European Journal of Epidemiology, 35(8), 781–783.  https://doi.org/10.1007/S10654-020-00670-Z/METRICS

  6. Bian,  L., Gao, F., Zhang, J., He, Q., Mao, Q., Xu, M., & Liang, Z. (2021).  Effects of SARS-CoV-2 variants on vaccine efficacy and response strategies. Expert  Review of Vaccines, 20(4), 1.  https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2021.1903879

  7. Bjork,  A., Akbar, I. E., Chaudhury, S., Wadood, M. Z., Ather, F., Jorba, J., &  Martinez, M. (2023). Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication — Afghanistan,  January 2022–June 2023. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72(38),  1020–1026. https://doi.org/10.15585/MMWR.MM7238A1

  8. COVID-19  Map - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2023, from  https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

  9. Cucinotta,  D., & Vanelli, M. (2020). WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Bio  Medica : Atenei Parmensis, 91(1), 157.  https://doi.org/10.23750/ABM.V91I1.9397

  10. Delirrad,  M., & Mohammadi, A. B. (2020). New Methanol Poisoning Outbreaks in Iran  Following COVID-19 Pandemic. Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire),  55(4), 347–348. https://doi.org/10.1093/ALCALC/AGAA036

  11. Gao,  X., Li, H., He, W., & Zeng, W. (2023). COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among  Medical Students: The Next COVID-19 Challenge in Wuhan, China. Disaster  Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17(3), e46.  https://doi.org/10.1017/DMP.2021.291

  12. Harapan,  H., Anwar, S., Yufika, A., Sharun, K., Gachabayov, M., Fahriani, M., Husnah,  M., Raad, R., Abdalla, R. Y. A., Adam, R. Y., Khiri, N. M. E., Ismaeil, M. I.  H., Ismail, A. Y., Kacem, W., Dahman, N. B. H., Teyeb, Z., Aloui, K., Hafsi,  M., Ferjani, M., … Mudatsir, M. (2022). Vaccine hesitancy among communities in  ten countries in Asia, Africa, and South America during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Pathogens and Global Health, 116(4), 236–243.  https://doi.org/10.1080/20477724.2021.2011580

  13. Jain,  J., Saurabh, S., Kumar, P., Kumar Verma, M., Dhanesh Goel, A., Kumar Gupta,  M., Bhardwaj, P., & Raghav, P. R. (n.d.). Epidemiology and Infection  COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical students in India.  https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268821001205

  14. Lazarus,  J. V., Ratzan, S. C., Palayew, A., Gostin, L. O., Larson, H. J., Rabin, K.,  Kimball, S., & El-Mohandes, A. (2020). A global survey of potential  acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Nature Medicine 2020 27:2, 27(2),  225–228. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-1124-9

  15. Lucia,  V. C., Kelekar, A., & Afonso, N. M. (2021). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy  among medical students. Journal of Public Health (Oxford, England), 43(3),  445–449. https://doi.org/10.1093/PUBMED/FDAA230

  16. MacDonald,  N. E., Eskola, J., Liang, X., Chaudhuri, M., Dube, E., Gellin, B., Goldstein,  S., Larson, H., Manzo, M. L., Reingold, A., Tshering, K., Zhou, Y., Duclos,  P., Guirguis, S., Hickler, B., & Schuster, M. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy:  Definition, scope and determinants. Vaccine, 33(34), 4161–4164.  https://doi.org/10.1016/J.VACCINE.2015.04.036

  17. Machingaidze,  S., & Wiysonge, C. S. (2021). Understanding COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Nature  Medicine 2021 27:8, 27(8), 1338–1339.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01459-7

  18. Mose,  A., Haile, K., & Timerga, A. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among  medical and health science students attending Wolkite University in Ethiopia. PLOS  ONE, 17(1), e0263081. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0263081

  19. Nemat,  A., Asady, A., Raufi, N., Zaki, N., Ehsan, E., Noor, N. A. S., & Zeng, Q.  (2021). A Survey of the Healthcare Workers in Afghanistan during the COVID-19  Pandemic. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 104(2),  537–539. https://doi.org/10.4269/AJTMH.20-1367

  20. Nemat,  A., Bahez, A., Salih, M., Raufi, N., Noor, N. A. S., Essar, M. Y., Ehsan, E.,  & Asady, A. (2021). Public Willingness and Hesitancy to Take the COVID-19  Vaccine in Afghanistan. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and  Hygiene, 105(3), 713–717. https://doi.org/10.4269/AJTMH.21-0231

  21. O’Reilly,  K. M., Durry, E., Ul Islam, O., Quddus, A., Abid, N., Mir, T. P., Tangermann,  R. H., Aylward, R. B., & Grassly, N. C. (2012). The eff ect of mass  immunisation campaigns and new oral poliovirus vaccines on the incidence of  poliomyelitis in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 2001-11: A retrospective analysis. The  Lancet, 380(9840), 491–498.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60648-5

  22. Plotkin,  S. A., & Plotkin, S. L. (2011). The development of vaccines: how the past  led to the future. Nature Reviews Microbiology 2011 9:12, 9(12),  889–893. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2668

  23. Saied,  S. M., Saied, E. M., Kabbash, I. A., & Abdo, S. A. E. F. (2021). Vaccine  hesitancy: Beliefs and barriers associated with COVID-19 vaccination among  Egyptian medical students. Journal of Medical Virology, 93(7),  4280–4291. https://doi.org/10.1002/JMV.26910

  24. SAMADÄ°,  A., ABDALÄ°, S. S., SANGARY, M., ALÄ°ZADA, M. N., NEYAZÄ°, A. J., &  FARAHMAND, M. Y. (2023). Attitude and acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccines  among Kabul city’s residents: A cross sectional study. Turkish Journal of  Public Health, 21(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.20518/TJPH.1027198

  25. Suresh,  K., & Chandrashekara, S. (2012). Sample size estimation and power analysis  for clinical research studies. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 5(1),  7–13. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.97779

  26. Ten  threats to global health in 2019.  (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2023, from  https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019

  27. Venkatesan,  K., Menon, S., & Haroon, N. N. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among  medical students: A systematic review.  https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_940_21

  28. Wardak,  M. F., Rahimi, A., Ahmadi, A., Madadi, S., Arif, S., Nikbin, A. M., Nazari, G.  A., Azizi, A. T., Mousavi, S. H., & Lucero-Prisno, D. E. (2021). COVID-19  Vaccination Efforts: Is Afghanistan Prepared? The American Journal of  Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 105(5), 1137.  https://doi.org/10.4269/AJTMH.21-0448

  29. Yang,  X., Yu, Y., Xu, J., Shu, H., Xia, J., Liu, H., Wu, Y., Zhang, L., Yu, Z.,  Fang, M., Yu, T., Wang, Y., Pan, S., Zou, X., Yuan, S., & Shang, Y.  (2020). Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with  SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective,  observational study. The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine, 8(5),  475–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30079-5

  30. Zahorec  R. (2020). Rationale Use of Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio for early diagnosis  and stratifi cation of COVID-19. Science Citation Index Expanded and in  Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition Bratisl Med J, 121(7),  466–470. https://doi.org/10.4149/BLL_2020_077

bottom of page