Predictors of the Likelihood of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Students in Poland

According to World Health Organization, a total of more than 777 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19, including more than 280 million people in Europe. The disease has killed more than 7 million people worldwide, including more than 2 million people in Europe. According to the WHO, 67% of individuals worldwide have received a full course of a primary vaccination series, while according to European Center for Disease Prevention 73% of those in EU/EEA countries have done so. In Poland, over 22 million people have received a complete course of vaccination (59.5% of the population). Although the vaccine was highly anticipated at the time of the pandemic, many people around the world, in Europe, and in Poland ultimately did not receive the vaccine and were skeptical about it. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that only approximately 6% of the Polish population receives influenza vaccinations annually. For comparison, ECDC data shows that while the median influenza vaccination coverage for adults (18 +) in EU/EEA countries was 7.5%, rates were substantially higher in countries like the Netherlands (57%), Portugal (29%), and Norway (28%). The question that arises is what young people’s opinions are on vaccinations. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between vaccine uptake and self-reported views on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccinations among students aged between 18 and 25 years old, using the examples of the COVID-19 and flu vaccines. A total of 425 students of different fields, with an average age of 21.14 ± 1.59 years, participated in the survey. 289 were female (68%) and 136 were male (32%). To be included in the study, participants had to be students, at least 18 years of age, and have consented to participate in the survey. The survey included demographic questions, items regarding vaccination status for both COVID-19 and influenza, and sections exploring attitudes toward these vaccinations. Among the 425 respondents, 313 students (73.65%) declared that they had been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, of whom 40 had been vaccinated with 1 dose (12.78% of those vaccinated), 260 had been vaccinated with 2 doses (83.07% of those vaccinated), and 13 had been vaccinated with 3 doses (4.07% of those vaccinated). A total of 138 respondents (32.47%) reported having had previously received the influenza vaccine. The objective was to analyze whether the history of influenza vaccination would influence the decision to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. A statistically significant correlation was identified (p-value 500 k) increased the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination. Reported reasons for hesitancy differed between the two vaccines: safety concerns were primary for COVID-19, whereas low perceived risk was primary for influenza. The availability of a combined vaccine may represent a viable strategy to improve vaccination coverage. Further research using validated tools is needed to address the factors driving vaccine hesitancy in young populations.