Abstract

Pavit Singh Momi, Karandip Singh Bains, Harman Singh, Aaronvir Singh Thind*, Dipendra R. Pandeya and Snehal Mehta

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on in our world, effective measures to combat the continual spread of the virus have begun to be deployed. The most effective of these measures is the development of the mRNA vaccines manufactured by numerous companies such as Pfizer, Moderna etc. For these vaccines to be maximally effective it is crucial to achieve a sufficient vaccination rate amongst our worldwide populations. Vaccine hesitancy is and always has been a concern in the general population. This study looks at the attitudes of Caribbean Medical students towards the vaccines and attempts to elicit reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Among Caribbean medical students the vast majority believe the vaccine to be effective. A small minority, however, do not believe the vaccine to be effective and state their reasons to be fear of side effects/reactions, belief that covid-19 is not a real threat, lack of trust or lack of access to the vaccine. Caribbean medical students represent a small subset of the population, but results of this study may be extended to the general population. To achieve an acceptable vaccination rate in the general population it is important to understand the reasons for noncompliance. With this understanding comes the opportunity for appropriate education and counseling with a goal of alleviating anxiety surrounding the vaccine.

Among Caribbean medical students the vast majority believe the vaccine to be effective. A small minority, however, do not believe the vaccine to be effective and state their reasons to be fear of side effects/reactions, belief that covid-19 is not a real threat, lack of trust or lack of access to the vaccine. Caribbean medical students represent a small subset of the population, but results of this study may be extended to the general population. To achieve an acceptable vaccination rate in the general population it is important to understand the reasons for noncompliance. With this understanding comes the opportunity for appropriate education and counseling with a goal of alleviating anxiety surrounding the vaccine.