Acceptance or rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine: A cross-sectional study among orthodontists

• Author Details:   
• Zainab Mousa Kadhom
• Alaa Faleh Albo Hassan
• Suha Ali Abdul Ameer
• Mohammed Nahidh
• Maria Maddalena Marrapodi
• Marco Cicciù
• Giuseppe Minervini

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Background: Close contact with the infected patient is one of the reason for the spread of infection. COVID-19 can easily infect orthodontists; it may be found in saliva droplets during the removal or insertion of the orthodontic fixed appliance components or even during the removal of the removable appliance.

Aims: This study aims to assess the acceptance or rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine among Iraqi orthodontists.

Materials and Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey among orthodontists in Iraq was conducted. Thirteen pre-structured questions were sent in a Google Form via their WhatsApp and Telegram groups.

Results: There were 123 orthodontists participating in this survey. The majority of the participants (96.75%) were aware of COVID-19, and 62.60% suggested that coronavirus poses a significant risk. Orthodontists who took the vaccine accounted for 93.50%; among them, those who preferred the Pfizer vaccine accounted for 57.39%. The side effects associated with the vaccine were the leading reasons for vaccine refusal.

Conclusions: Although there is a high level of awareness about COVID-19 viruses among orthodontists, some abstained from the vaccine because of fear. The acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and the number of participants who got the vaccine were high to achieve precise infection control in orthodontic clinics and decrease viral infection spread.