Fear of COVID-19 among employees of large companies and vaccination against COVID-19 - a cross-sectional study (Silesia, Poland)

Mateusz Grajek, Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Karolina Sobczyk
2022 Journal of Education, Health and Sport  
Introduction and Objective. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the functioning of the entire globe. By the end of December 2020, the disease had been diagnosed in more than 82 million people worldwide, and nearly 2 million people had died. The main preventive measure was to develop an effective vaccine as soon as possible, which Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Gamaleya Center managed to do in late 2020. The first vaccines arrived in Poland after the end of December 2020,
more » ... but their appearance was not without controversy. The aim of this study was to compare respondents' opinions on COVID-19 vaccination with the results of the assessment of fear of infection. Material and methods. The opinions of 300 employees of large companies on COVID-19 vaccination and fear of SARS-CoV-2 (FCV-19S) infection according to Ahorsu were checked. Results. It was shown that 54% of the respondents express a willingness to vaccinate whenever possible, while 42% are not interested in vaccinating. In favor of the willingness to vaccinate is the option to return to the standard of living before the COVID-19 pandemic - 72%, and the desire to protect those around them from possible infection - 46%. Among opponents of vaccination, the predominant opinion is that the vaccine has not undergone enough testing and is not safe for health - 68%. Discussion. COVID-19 vaccination is one of the major medical successes of recent years and a safe way to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is worrying that those who opt out of vaccination indicate that they do not have enough information about vaccination (44%), and this is an issue that needs to be changed quickly. Conclusions. Those who express a willingness to vaccinate are more likely to have a higher level of fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection than those who have not expressed a willingness to vaccinate. Nearly half of non-vaccinators indicate that there is too little information about vaccination.
doi:10.12775/jehs.2022.12.09.080 fatcat:bjunjynluvbupoj7no4fqwv2ga