Speakers
Description
Introduction: Routine vaccination activities, such as detection, reporting, and management of AEFIs, are generally handled by healthcare providers (HCPs). Safe vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 were introduced to control of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives: Assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practice of HCPs in Iraq about reporting adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. Also to assess the effect of HCPs demographic characteristics on their knowledge, perceptions, and reporting practice of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination
Methods: The current study was a cross-sectional study carried out between August and September 2021 at the COVID-19 vaccination centers in Iraq. This study used an online via a Google form and paper-based questionnaire which distributed among HCPs (doctors and pharmacists) in COVID-19 vaccination centers.
Results: A total of 117 pharmacists and doctors responded to the survey. Two-thirds of respondents were pharmacists. The majority of the respondents (49.6%) had fair knowledge levels on AEFI. The perception of 43% of the participants was very good, whereas the perception of 28%, 23%, and 6% of the participants was fair, good, and poor, respectively. The reporting practice of HCPs was inappropriate in 53% of respondents.
The percent of pharmacists who had good knowledge of AEFI was significantly higher than that of the doctors. The age group (30-39) years of HCPs were significantly associated with perception towards AEFI. The number of pharmacists that have good perception was significantly higher than that of the doctors. Furthermore, HCPs aged 30 to 39 years had much higher reporting practices than other age groups.
Conclusion: The current study highlighted that the HCPs working at the COVID-19 vaccination centers have low knowledge of AEFIs. On the other hand, HCPs have high perception toward reporting AEFIs despite their reporting practice being inappropriate. Education programs and reference materials are needed to increase their awareness about AEFIs
