Acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background & Aim: Vaccination is the most efficient strategy to tackle the COVID-19 epidemic, and it is important in many ways. Additionally, healthcare workers represent an important vaccine information source for the general population. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among healthcare workers. Methods & Materials: This study was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, and the protocol of this study was registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42023402082. Searches were conducted up to 20 October 2023 in data resources, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The random-effects model was used for meta-analysis, and the I2 index was used to evaluate heterogeneity among studies. The STATA software (version 14) was used for data analysis. Results: During the initial search, 6132 articles were selected. After the screening, study selection, and quality assessment, 93 studies entered the meta-analysis process, and a total of 196235 healthcare workers were examined. The overall vaccine acceptance rate among healthcare workers was reported as 68.56% (95% confidence interval (CI) =18.7-99.7; I2 = 99.750%; p< 0.001). Conclusion: The overall acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine in healthcare workers was lower than expected. Also, some determining factors were identified. The analysis of the vaccine acceptance rate and the factors affecting it can help healthcare officials and policymakers with proper healthcare planning.