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{
    "pk": 15975,
    "title": "Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination Among EMS Personnel",
    "subtitle": null,
    "abstract": "Introduction:\n Unvaccinated emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are at increased risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and potentially transmitting the virus to their families, coworkers, and patients. Effective vaccines for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus exist; however, vaccination rates among EMS professionals remain largely unknown. Consequently, we sought to document vaccination rates of EMS professionals and identify predictors of vaccination uptake.\nMethods: \nWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of North Carolina EMS professionals after the COVID-19 vaccines were widely available. The survey assessed vaccination status as well as beliefs regarding COVID-19 illness and vaccine effectiveness. Prediction of vaccine uptake was modeled using logistic regression.\nResults:\n A total of 860 EMS professionals completed the survey, of whom 74.7% reported receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Most respondents believed that COVID-19 is a serious threat to the population, that they are personally at higher risk of infection, that vaccine side effects are outweighed by illness prevention, and the vaccine is safe and effective. Despite this, only 18.7% supported mandatory vaccination for EMS professionals. Statistically significant differences were observed between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness, recall of employer vaccine recommendation, perceived risk of infection, degree of threat to the population, and trust in government to take actions to limit the spread of disease. Unvaccinated respondents cited reasons such as belief in personal health and natural immunity as protectors against infection, concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness, inadequate vaccine knowledge, and lack of an employer mandate for declining the vaccine. Predictors of vaccination included belief in vaccine safety (odds ratio [OR] 5.5, P=<0.001) and effectiveness (OR 4.6, P=<0.001); importance of vaccination to protect patients (OR 15.5, P=<0.001); perceived personal risk of infection (OR 1.8, P=0.04); previous receipt of influenza vaccine (OR 2.5, P=0.003); and sufficient knowledge to make an informed decision about vaccination (OR 2.4,  P=0.024).\nConclusion:\n In this survey of EMS professionals, over a quarter remained unvaccinated for COVID-19. Given the identified predictors of vaccine acceptance, EMS systems should focus on countering misinformation through employee educational campaigns as well as on developing policies regarding workforce immunization requirements.",
    "language": "en",
    "license": {
        "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0",
        "short_name": "CC BY 4.0",
        "text": "Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.\r\n\r\nNo additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.",
        "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"
    },
    "keywords": [
        {
            "word": "EMS, paramedic"
        },
        {
            "word": "prehospital"
        },
        {
            "word": "COVID-19"
        },
        {
            "word": "Vaccine"
        },
        {
            "word": "vaccination"
        }
    ],
    "section": "Emergency Medical Services",
    "is_remote": true,
    "remote_url": "https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7cz4t63p",
    "frozenauthors": [
        {
            "first_name": "Michael",
            "middle_name": "W.",
            "last_name": "Hubble",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Wake Technical Community College, Department of Emergency Medical Science, Raleigh, North Carolina",
            "department": "None"
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Ginny",
            "middle_name": "K.",
            "last_name": "Renkiewicz",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Methodist University, Department of Health Care Administration, Fayetteville, North Carolina",
            "department": "None"
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Sandy",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Hunter",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Wake Technical Community College, Department of Emergency Medical Science, Raleigh, North Carolina",
            "department": "None"
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Randy",
            "middle_name": "D.",
            "last_name": "Kearns",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "The University of New Orleans, Department of Management & Marketing – College of Business Administration, New Orleans, Louisiana",
            "department": "None"
        }
    ],
    "date_submitted": "2021-09-29T22:54:42Z",
    "date_accepted": "2021-09-29T22:54:42Z",
    "date_published": "2022-07-13T16:13:04Z",
    "render_galley": null,
    "galleys": [
        {
            "label": "",
            "type": "pdf",
            "path": "https://journalpub.escholarship.org/westjem/article/15975/galley/8007/download/"
        }
    ]
}