Attitudes, Perceptions, and Hesitancy Towards a Combined COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination: A Scoping Review

Introduction: COVID-19 and influenza are viruses that have been major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While a combination vaccine for these two viruses is currently in development, little is known about public perceptions and attitudes towards such a vaccine. Therefore, we have aimed to conduct a scoping review to evaluate the attitudes, and reasons for acceptance/rejection of a combination COVID-19 and influenza vaccination. Material and Methods: Our review has followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Search terms included those on COVID-19, influenza, and combination vaccines. Searches were conducted in a total of 10 different databases: Embase, Global Health, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Results: Searches across all databases produced a total of 1763 results, of which five were deemed to be eligible for this review. Generally, participants had favourable views towards a combination vaccine. Reasons provided for accepting a combination vaccine include low cost, reasonable effectiveness, fewer injections, and higher safety. However, reasons for rejection of a potential combination vaccine include a potential lack of evidence and lack of studies regarding its effectiveness, and a fear of possible side effects. Conclusions: While there are generally positive attitudes and perceptions towards a combination vaccination for COVID-19 and influenza, there is also a sizeable proportion of the population that has shown hesitancy towards such a vaccine. Vaccination delivery programs should clearly demonstrate that these vaccines are safe and must concurrently address false rumours and misinformation.