The aim of the study was to examine factors associated with the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine to influence the low coverage of the population with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Our study showed a high rate of vaccination against COVID-19 among healthcare workers (84%). Similar results have been obtained from studies conducted in other countries (Wang et al. 2021). This indicates that during the pandemic medical workers have an increased perception of the risk of infection and the demand for means of protection against it (Nemr et al. 2021).
The study found that uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination varies by socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, occupation, education level, average monthly income, and place of residence. The highest level of vaccination acceptance (90%) was confirmed in the age group of 45 years and older, which can be explained by the fact that susceptibility to infectious diseases increases with age. Also, with increasing age, the probability of developing a concomitant chronic disease increases, the risk of which increases further as a result of being infected with a pandemic. This affects their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Compared to doctors, nurses had a lower willingness to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. This may be due to the fact that most nurses are women, who are more concerned about the side effects of vaccines on their future babies, and as a result are wary of the effects of vaccination on pregnancy. It should be taken into account that nurses spend more time with patients and therefore have a higher risk of being infected with the COVID-19 virus. Low vaccination rates among nurses may adversely affect individuals who have frequent professional or personal contact with nurses. Therefore, it is important that nurses and health workers are more informed about the benefits of vaccination.
5 aspects of the Health Belief Model were used to assess the readiness of HCWs to receive a COVID-19 vaccination: perceptions of susceptibility to COVID-19, perceptions of severity and seriousness, perceptions of benefits, perceptions of barriers, and cues to action. Among these aspects, the signals directed to actions played a special role in the willingness to carry out vaccination. In particular, the provision of reliable information, recommendations of health workers, health authorities and media have a significant impact on vaccination. Studies show that the public trusts health workers the most on vaccination-related issues because they are better able to understand public attitudes towards vaccination and find ways to promote vaccination (Rapisarda et al., 2021; Hossain et al., 2021).
Recommendations of the World Health Organization and scientists have a significant influence on the willingness to carry out vaccination. The decision to use the vaccine by the World Health Organization dramatically increased the number of people vaccinated (Lazarus et al., 2023). In the case of mistrust of science, when misinformation and conspiracy theories are spread, people try to avoid vaccination (Mousoulidou et al., 2021). In eliminating misinformation and disseminating correct information about the vaccine, the regulatory role of the state and trust in it is important. Our study found that respondents who trusted the vaccine recommended by health authorities were more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The most common barriers to implementing a COVID-19 vaccination are issues related to the efficacy and safety of existing vaccines. Respondents expressed some concern about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine because the COVID-19 vaccine, unlike other “old” vaccines, was developed quickly, within a short period of time after the outbreak began. This can negatively affect the vaccination rate. In order to solve this problem, it is important to invest more resources in information campaigns, improve access to adequate information for the public, and widely disseminate information about scientific research and expertise on the vaccine to the population (Sulik et al., 2021). Other studies also confirm that scientific evidence contributes to public trust in the vaccine and therefore vaccination acceptance (Muğaloğlu et al., 2022). However, studies confirm that different strategies and approaches need to be integrated and combined to overcome barriers to vaccination (Brewer et al., 2021).
The success of the COVID-19 vaccination relies heavily on the public's willingness to get vaccinated. Research has shown that uptake of COVID-19 vaccination varies by socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, occupation, education level, average monthly income and place of residence, perceptions of benefits and barriers, and cues to action.
The study showed a high rate of willingness to receive vaccination among healthcare workers. Among the aspects of the health belief model, cues to action played a special role in the willingness to undergo vaccination. In particular, the provision of reliable information, recommendations of health workers, health authorities and media have a significant impact on vaccination.
Research results show that reducing vaccination barriers and simplifying procedures will increase vaccination acceptance in the public. The results of the study are important for policy makers and stakeholders in developing effective interventions to promote vaccination during epidemics.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination, health belief model, vaccination acceptance, reduction of vaccination barriers, simplification of procedures.
JEL Codes: I10, I11, I18, H51, H75

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