Representative interview quotes
| Emerging findings | Representative quotes from interviews |
| Hopes for the COVID-19 vaccination programme | We think it’s going to end and it’s not ending. So, the only real hope is a vaccine. I mean the only light at the end of the tunnel will be provided by mass vaccination; we’re going to achieve mass immunity. (Surgeon) |
| Perceptions of vaccine effectiveness | It does seem they will protect the population, particularly from the severer forms of COVID, which is where the problems arise. (Clinical director) |
| Perceptions of vaccine safety and risks | I think we have to be hopeful that these vaccines, that they’ve been trialled and researched as much as they can to make sure we don’t have any long-term effects. (Physiotherapist) So, we already know that the instance of adverse effects is very low. So, they seem safe and particularly if you balance the risk of having the vaccine against your risks of a serious illness with COVID, it’s clearly in favour of having the vaccine. (Clinical director) |
| Degree of uncertainty about the COVID-19 vaccines | Frankly, I’m scared to take the vaccine. I don’t know if it’s going to work, and I don’t know if I want to put something in my body where there’s no evidence to suggest that it is going to provide me with the immunity that I need to fight this virus. (General manager) |
| Government decisions on programme implementation | Why the prime minister, who has no—clearly no medical competence, evidently, decides to change the scientific protocol with no collateral study to support this decision and no one agrees with him- how is that possible? (Nurse, sister) |
| Different sources of information on vaccination | I have seen the people on higher grades, they went for the vaccine and they have had no issues but actually we have really, really struggled to engage people at the more junior level, and I think [social media] are having much more impact on them. (Divisional Manager) I was like, I’m not going to get the vaccine until I read something that reassures me that the overall scientific communities, and not just the UK say that it is safe to do. (Nurse, sister) |
| HCWs’ attitudes towards promoting vaccination | So, I guess it’s, so, if it was a patient of mine or our teams and we really want, you know, we really advised them to have it done, I guess I would spend quite, myself or the nurse or the doctor, we would spend quite a lot of time understanding what their worries are, what their concerns are, and try and address that, and then, sort of, looking at the advantages and the disadvantages of having it or not having it. So, we would try and put the extra effort in to give them, it would be about them having a better-informed decision, rather than relying on things that they’ve read on social media or word of mouth from friends and family. (Clinical lead nurse) |
HCWs, healthcare workers.