COVID-19 Vaccination Readiness Assessment of Medical Students (COVRAM) 2.0: A survey to assess their views, risk perception, trust, and vaccination readiness and rates in light of the vaccine mandates for personnel in the health care system in Germany

Conditions: Vaccination Readiness (in general and for COVID-19)psychological determinants of Vaccination Readiness (5C-model (Betsch), risk perception, Trust, risk)

Registration Number: DRKS00028918

Lead Sponsor: Impfaufklärung in Deutschland e.V.

Brief Summary: Background: Medical students are future doctors. During their studies, they spend significant time in close contact with patients. Doctors are the source most relied on in vaccination decisions of people and patients. Working and studying in the medical field poses a risk of transmitting and getting transmitted infections and ideas. Methods: We conducted two surveys among medical students in Germany (2021: n=4313; 2022: n =3046) to assess their readiness to get vaccinated and recommend (COVID-19-)vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed a regression analysis to confirm the most relevant psychological determinants. Results: In 2021, about 98% were either vaccinated or wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19; in 2022, with broad access to the vaccines, 1,73% remained unvaccinated. 96,57% and 93,36%, respectively, would recommend their patients to get vaccinated. Students less willing to get vaccinated were also less willing to recommend the vaccines which came along with less positive attitude towards vaccines in general and lower collective responsibility, confidence and trust and different risk perception. Discussion: Both surveys showed the high vaccination readiness of the medical students. This matches with a high readiness to recommend vaccines and positive attitude towards vaccinations in general. The students show a remarkably high collective responsibility, confidence in vaccinations and trust in scientific institutions in Germany. Students less vaccinated against COVID19 would recommend the vaccines to their patients less frequently than fully vaccinated students, thus not only implying a direct health risk while working with patients but also transmitting their vaccination hesitancy. We identified factors that might be helpful to communicate to mitigate these effects.