ATTITUDE TOWARDS SARS-COV2 VACCINE AMONG DENTAL PROFESSIONALS

Aim: This study aimed to assess the acceptance and hesitancy of covid vaccine among dental professionals. Methods: The study population consisted of dentists who work in private clinics, hospitals, institutions and health centers in Karnataka. An online questionnaire was sent in the form of google forms. The questionnaire comprised series of questions to know the level of knowledge, attitude towards SARS-COV2 vaccine. Results: In this study total of 200 dentists participated, majority of them had good knowledge, optimistic attitude towards Covid 19 vaccine. The majority of dentists were aware of corona virus, symptoms and 84.3% have already received the vaccine. 91.7% participants believed it was very important to get the COVID-19 vaccine. 89.4% used to wear a mask all the time and 1.4% wore it sometimes. 49% of participants had symptoms like fever, headache, tiredness/myalgia, bodyacheetc following immunization. Conclusions: Dentists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms and the importance of vaccination. Majority of dentists have already received the Covid 19 vaccine. Health care workers and Media plays an important role in educating and spreading information on vaccines. Clinical Significance:Despite overall confidence in vaccines, a majority of dental professionals expressed concerns over a novel coronavirus vaccine.