Healthcare workers’ perceptions and attitudes towards the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme

Objectives

To explore healthcare workers’ (HCWs) perceptions and attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the UK, including their expectations, concerns and views on whether to promote vaccination to others. To understand the key factors shaping HCWs’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in the UK.

Design

This study was designed as a rapid qualitative appraisal integrating data from a review of UK policies and guidance on COVID-19 vaccination with data from in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews with frontline HCWs in the UK. Data were analysed using framework analysis.

Participants

Interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of HCWs from two large London-based hospital Trusts (n=24) and 24 government policies and guidelines on the vaccination programme were reviewed.

Results

The level of uncertainty about the vaccines’ long-term safety and efficacy against mutant strains made it difficult for HCWs to balance the benefits against the risks of vaccination. HCWs felt that government decisions on vaccine rollout had not been supported by evidence-based science and this impacted their level of trust and confidence in the programme. The spread of misinformation online also impacted HCWs’ attitudes towards vaccination, particularly among junior level and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) HCWs. Most HCWs felt encouraged to promote vaccination to their patients and the majority said they would advocate vaccination or engage in conversations about vaccination with others when relevant.

Conclusion

In order to improve HCWs’ trust and confidence in the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme, there needs to be clarity about what is known and not known about the vaccines and transparency around the evidence-base supporting government decisions on vaccine rollout. Effort is also needed to dispel the spread of vaccine-related misinformation online and to address specific concerns, particularly among BAME and junior level HCWs.

Strengths and limitations of this study

• This is the first qualitative study to understand the factors influencing healthcare workers’ (HCWs) attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in the UK

• This study integrated interview and policy data and captured HCWs’ perceptions and attitudes in real-time as the vaccination programme was being rolled out in the UK

• Our interview study sample was limited in its representation of junior level HCWs and areas of the UK

• This research may have been impacted by selection bias as those with stronger views on vaccination may have been more likely to participate in the study