Understanding Questions and Concerns Regarding COVID-19 and the COVID-19 Vaccine Among Populations Presenting at a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Hub (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Skepticism among the public surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine is still prevalent despite vaccine-positive communication and many Americans having already received the vaccine. Side effects of the vaccine as well as its expeditious research and development are among the top concerns among those hesitant to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Moreover, there is additional concern regarding correlation between comorbidities and severity of illness due to the coronavirus pandemic. OBJECTIVE To address these areas of concern, we examined the concerns and questions that attendees of the vaccine clinic hub had about the pandemic and the vaccine with the goal of reducing misconceptions and vaccine hesitancy. A secondary aim of the study was to provide public health messaging in the form of an educational video to address the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during the pandemic. METHODS An electronic survey accessible via a QR code on printed flyers was distributed throughout the waiting areas and observation rooms within the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing from April 5-16, 2021. The survey contained questions designed to obtain information on concerns of the clinic attendees, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine, as well as concerns about their lifestyle and difficulties with chronic health conditions during the pandemic. The data sets were analyzed qualitatively during this two-week period. RESULTS Out of 510 attendees, 277 attendees had provided 280 responses to the first question about the vaccine and life after they had received the vaccine. Six areas of interest were identified: immunity, future vaccinations, vaccine symptoms, protocol post-vaccination, vaccine safety, and child vaccinations. Regarding the responses collecting attendees’ concerns regarding their general health or health related concerns, several inquiries were identified surrounding the following health problems: diabetes, hypertension, mental health, sedentary lifestyle, and others that constituted a smaller percentage of questions. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a novel perspective on understanding questions and concerns regarding COVID-19, the COVID-19 vaccine, and general health within a vaccinated population. Attendees of the vaccine clinic hub were found to still have questions even after they had received their vaccine, suggesting that eliminating uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine is not necessary to motivate individuals to receive the vaccine. Instead, addressing concerns through public health messaging can increase vaccine uptake and promote healthy living.