Vaccine Hesitancy and Views About COVID-19 Among Teachers in Belize

Abstract

This study examined vaccine hesitancy and the views about COVID-19 among teachers in Belize. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey and correlational study was conducted using an online survey via Qualtrics with three sections - Demographics, Hesitancy, and Views. Data collected from 351 teachers indicated that vaccine hesitancy was lower among teachers prior to COVID-19, but increased during the early part of the pandemic (summer 2021). Factors that were significantly related to teachers’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy included safety of vaccines, believing vaccines protect from serious diseases, believing there are other (better) ways to prevent diseases, as well as gender and ethnicity. The main reasons for the hesitancy were teachers’ belief that they were healthy, concern about the side effects of the vaccine, and lack of trust in the vaccine’s effectiveness. This study’s findings emphasize the importance of vaccine campaigns to target hesitant groups, especially teachers, and to promote accurate information related to vaccines and COVID-19.