Preprint Article Version 2 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Willingness to Vaccinate for Mpox among Healthcare Workers in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Sirwan Ahmed
ORCID logo ,
Salar Omer Abdulqadir
,
Rukhsar Muhammad Omar
ORCID logo ,
Safin Hussein
ORCID logo ,
Karzan Qurbani
ORCID logo ,
Mona Gamal Mohamed
ORCID logo ,
Hazhar Talaat Abubaker Blbas
ORCID logo ,
Mathumalar Loganathan Fahrni
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 23 August 2023 / Approved: 24 August 2023 / Online: 24 August 2023 (10:23:29 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 6 September 2023 / Approved: 7 September 2023 / Online: 8 September 2023 (13:09:12 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ahmed, S.K.; Abdulqadir, S.O.; Omar, R.M.; Hussein, S.; Qurbani, K.; Mohamed, M.G.; Abubaker Blbas, H.T.; Fahrni, M.L.; Lazzarino, A.I. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Willingness of Healthcare Workers in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to Vaccinate against Human Monkeypox: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1734. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11121734 Ahmed, S.K.; Abdulqadir, S.O.; Omar, R.M.; Hussein, S.; Qurbani, K.; Mohamed, M.G.; Abubaker Blbas, H.T.; Fahrni, M.L.; Lazzarino, A.I. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Willingness of Healthcare Workers in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to Vaccinate against Human Monkeypox: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1734. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11121734

Abstract

Abstract: Educating healthcare workers (HCWs) to take action against monkeypox (mpox) is an important part of public health prevention efforts. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to vaccinate against mpox among HCWs in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This study utilized an online cross-sectional survey that was disseminated via Google Forms between November, 1, 2022 and January, 15, 2023, employing a convenience sampling method. The researchers utilized logistic regression to ascertain the factors associated with knowledge, attitude and willingness to vaccinate. A total of 637 HCWs were included in the analysis (ages ranged between 21 and 51 years old). The mean overall score and standard deviation of the knowledge, attitude, and willingness assessment on mpox were 8.18±3.37 out of (0–16), 3.40±1.37 out of (0–5), 2.41±1.25 out of (0–5), respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HCWs who heard about mpox before 2022 had a higher level of knowledge (AOR: 4.85; 95% CI: 2.81-8.36; p < 0.001). In addition, those who had less than 1 year of practice had a positive attitude about mpox (AOR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.20-0.59; p < 0.01). Finally, none of the variable groups had the capacity to predict willingness to be vaccinated against mpox. The research revealed that HCWs exhibit a relatively low level of knowledge and attitude towards mpox, as well as a low level of willingness to receive mpox vaccinations. Further, there is an urgent need to increase their knowledge and attitude, as the success of efforts to control the global epidemic depends on them.

Keywords

Monkeypox virus; mpox; knowledge; attitude; vaccine acceptance; vaccine hesitancy; healthcare workers; doctors; nurses; pharmacists

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 8 September 2023
Commenter: Sirwan Ahmed
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author
Comment: 1. The alignment of the authors name has been rectified. 
2. The referencing style has been modified to adhere to the guidelines specified by MDPI journals.
3. The abstract style shifted from structured to unstructured.
4. Mathumalar Loganathan Fahrni has been chosen as the corresponding author.
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