Page 225 - GHES-3-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
COVID-19 vaccination decisions and mandate impact

Table 5. Level of agreement with statements on vaccination requirements and impact on employment status and conditions
Statement Strongly Disagree Neutral (n, Agree (n, %) Strongly N/A No
disagree (n, %) %) agree (n, %) response
(n, %)
I experienced conflict among colleagues at work after 3/166, 2 5/166, 3 11/166, 15.1 25/166, 17 107/166, 64.5 3/166, 2 12/166, 7.2
the introduction of vaccines and/or vaccination policies
I experienced conflict between employees and 5/166, 3 5/166, 3 9/166, 5.4 23/166, 14 108/166, 65.1 5/166, 3 11/166, 7
management at work after the introduction of
vaccines and/or vaccination policies
I know of health workers who have taken early 3/166, 2 0/166, 0 8/166, 5 14/166, 8.4 125/166, 75.3 5/166, 3 11/166, 7
retirement due to COVID-19 policies
I know of health workers who have been laid off due 3/166, 2 1/166, 1 6/166, 4 10/166, 6 131/166, 79 4/166, 2.4 11/166, 7
to failure to comply with vaccination
I know of health workers who have resigned because 4/166, 2.4 1/166, 1 8/166, 5 10/166, 6 128/166, 77.1 4/166, 2.4 11/166, 7
they did not wish to take the vaccine
I know of students in the health professions who were 11/166, 7 7/166, 4.2 14/166, 8.4 12/166, 7.2 79/166, 48 32/166, 19.3 11/166, 7
deregistered due to non-compliance with vaccination
policies
I would return to my previous role if possible/if 34/138, 25 11/138, 8 37/138, 27 19/138, 14 33/138, 24 3/138, 2.2 0/138, 0
mandates were dropped
I intend to leave my occupation/the healthcare sector/ 15/166, 9 15/166, 9 26/166, 16 27/166, 16.3 47/166, 28.3 24/166, 14.5 12/166, 7.2
industry due to my experiences with the COVID-19
policy response
Abbreviation: N/A: Not applicable.

COVID-19 vaccines. More than half of the respondents treatment of patients based on their vaccination status,
(96/166, 58%) agreed (5/166, 6%) or strongly agreed and most respondents (117/166, 70.5%) agreed (25/166,
(91/166, 45.4%) that they had medical concerns, while 15.1%) or strongly agreed (92/166, 55/4%) that they had
more than half of the respondents (95/166, 57.2%) also observed an increase in patient harms associated with
agreed (16/166, 10%) or strongly agreed (79/166, 47.6%) the COVID-19 vaccine. Significantly, only a very small
that they had religious concerns regarding the COVID-19 minority of the respondents (8/166, 5%) agreed (1/166,
vaccines. Most (139/166, 84%) also agreed (13/166, 18%) 1%) or strongly agreed (7/166, 4.2%) that they had felt free
or strongly agreed (126/166, 76%) that they did their own to express to their employer their concerns about potential
research regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine harms in patients, only a very small minority of the
vaccines. Finally, most vaccinated respondents (11/13, 85%) respondents (11/166, 7%) agreed (4/166, 2.4%) or strongly
disagreed (1/13, 8%) or strongly disagreed (10/13, 77%) that agreed (7/166, 4.2%) that when they had expressed these
they were happy about getting vaccinated, whereas most concerns they had been documented or acted on by their
unvaccinated respondents (134/143, 94%) agreed (2/143, employer, and only a small minority of the respondents
1.4%) or strongly agreed (132/143, 92.3%) that they were (8/166, 5%) agreed (1/166, 1%) or strongly agreed (7/166,
happy to have remained unvaccinated (Table 7). 4.2%) that from the perspective of a potential patient, they
felt confident that the healthcare system would provide
3.6. HCW views and experiences of mandates on adequate and quality care while respecting their personal
patient care preferences and values (Table 9).

More than half of the respondents (95/166, 57.2%) had Most respondents (152/166, 92%) responded “no”
worked with COVID-19-positive or suspected patients when asked if they had been encouraged to report adverse
before the vaccine mandate (Table 8). Likewise, most events of post-vaccination observed in patients, and most
respondents (121/166, 73%) agreed (27/166, 16.3%) or respondents (138/166, 83.1%) also responded “no” when
strongly agreed (94/166, 57%) that they had observed asked if they had been trained to report such events.
disturbing patient care or procedural changes on the When asked if they had been encouraged or coerced to
introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, most respondents minimize patients’ hesitancy about vaccines, one-third of
(118/166, 71.1%) agreed (22/166, 13.3%) or strongly the respondents (57/166; 34%) replied that they had, for
agreed (96/166, 58%) that they had observed differential instance, by encouraging patients to trust health officials

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 217 https://doi.org/10.36922/GHES025080014