Vaccine hesitancy in Maltese family physicians and their trainees vis-à-vis influenza and novel COVID-19 vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: An effective vaccine may help us to exit the COVID-19 pandemic. General Practitioners/Family Doctors (GPs/FDs) play a vital role in public vaccination in most countries and they also serve as role models. However, they may not always follow national vaccination policies. This study was carried out in order to ascertain the degree of vaccine hesitancy of GPs and GP trainees in Malta vis-à-vis influenza vaccination and a putative novel COVID-19 vaccine.

METHODS: A short, anonymous questionnaire was emailed via the Malta College of Family Doctors.

RESULTS: There were 123 responses from 288 GPs (33.3%) and 62 trainees (43.5%). Significantly more will take the influenza vaccine, at all ages. Almost two thirds of GPs are likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine but significantly less (a third) of trainees will. Older doctors were likelier to take this vaccine. The likelihood of taking influenza vaccination was significantly associated with that of taking COVID-19 vaccine. The majority of COVID-19 concerns pertained to insufficient knowledge and concern regarding potential long-term side effects.

DISCUSSION: The vaccination rates for COVID-19 are somewhat less than those for influenza uptake. Vaccine hesitancy in the young, and here in young doctors, is a seemingly global youth phenomenon, an unwise insouchance when the possibility of long-term viral complications is considered. An information drive should be mounted with regard to COVID-19 vaccination as well as a campaign to heavily promote annual influenza vaccination.