Enhance the willingness of healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Germany

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Nicole Skoetz
• Subject Area: Public Health, Healthcare Research, Social and Occupational Medicine ; Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
• Term: from 2021 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 466313237

The approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine has been long-awaited in Germany to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially in nursing homes and hospitals, the vaccination could guarantee the safety of healthcare workers in contact with COVID-19 patients. The Willi-Vacc project aims to identify interventions to enhance the willingness of German healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The research objectives of Willi-Vacc are to:1. Scope the evidence on interventions to enhance willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 among the general population (Scoping Cochrane Review). We will start with a systematic scoping review to identify interventions to enhance willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 among the general population.2. Prioritise the interventions for their relevance to healthcare workers found in the scoping review together with stakeholders (Stakeholder meeting).Once the scoping review is finalised, we plan a stakeholder online meeting with representatives from the following groups:• Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO)• Robert Koch Institut (RKI)• World Health Organisation (WHO)• Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA)• Deutscher Berufsverband für Pflegeberufe (DBfK)• Deutscher Berufsverband für Altenpflege e.V (DBVA)• Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF)• Vaccination centers3. Conduct a living systematic review of the prioritised interventions (Cochrane Review).First, we will develop and publish a Cochrane protocol, outlining the inclusion and exclusion criteria and methods being used to conduct the living systematic review and the update. The final PICO questions will be determined based on the prioritisation process involving the stakeholders. If randomised controlled studies (RCTs) are available, we will include them. In case of insufficient RCT evidence, we will include prospectively planned controlled studies, if not available uncontrolled studies. The first version of the review will be published after nine months (planned as Cochrane Review). As we expect many new studies in this rapidly evolving field, an update after 12 months is planned.4. Discuss the implementation of the intervention strategies for healthcare workers in Germany with stakeholders (Stakeholder meeting).To implement the findings of the review and review updates in Germany we plan two further meetings with the stakeholder panel.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants