Student Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccines Amidst College Vaccine Mandate Reveals Educational Gaps

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among interdisciplinary student bodies at the PCOM campuses and provide evidence-based education of the role of vaccination in mitigating the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A total of two educational COVID-19 Vaccines Debunked sessions were created and hosted by an interdisciplinary team of eight healthcare professional students from the PCOM Georgia campusʼ Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Biomedical Sciences programs. The event was promoted to students from all of PCOMʼs professional and graduate programs across three campuses. Interested students were required to pre-register and offered an opportunity to complete an anonymous survey before each session including demographics, overall attitude, and motivations for receiving or not receiving the vaccine. Results were analyzed using Qualtrics, LLC. Each one hour session was held in-person on PCOM GA campus with other campuses having the opportunity to join virtually. Each session commenced with a brief introduction of the student panelists and advising faculty followed by a brief overview of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine mechanisms. Using an interactive presentation with real-time anonymous polling, the student panelists presented factual evidence to debunk the most common vaccine myths, as reported in real-time by student attendees. Following the myth-busting segment, student panelists facilitated a fifteen minute question and answer session with options for anonymous participation by student attendees. Due to the spread of misinformation along with recent vaccine mandates, it was hypothesized during data collection that there would be hesitancy among students regarding the vaccine and mandate. Results: A total of 283 students participated in the sessions and completed an anonymous survey with just over half of the student body indicating no hesitancy in receiving the vaccine with 79% in agreement with the vaccine mandate policy. While exploring COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and common misconceptions, we were surprised to find that during both sessions the students inquired the most about information on how to approach individuals who were hesitant to get the vaccine with over 90% of the student body asserting the need for vaccine education among healthcare students. The interactive format of the event and preparedness of the panel participants allowed flexibility for a plethora of topics to be discussed regardless of the initial intent. The anonymity allowed for a more robust student participation. Additionally, the anonymous polling platform allowed the team to better prepare for the second session according to the questions asked during the first session. Finally, the interprofessional nature of the student team offered an opportunity for discipline-specific means of communicating for effective vaccine advocacy as health professional students were eager to be better equipped to address vaccine hesitancy in an evidenced-based manner. Conclusion: Students and future healthcare professionals are often the liaison between scientific information and loved ones. This session highlighted educational gaps for providing tools to access credible information, discerning reputable sources, interpreting and relaying information effectively. It is essential we address how to effectively bridge the gap between research, healthcare, education and patients in the upcoming generation of healthcare professionals to ensure the longevity of public trust in science. In the effort to gain herd immunity, this is an apparent barrier which is seen across interdisciplinary health professionals and graduate students