Assessment of Monkeypox (MPOX) Knowledge and Vaccination Intention among Health and Life Sciences Students in Algeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Monkeypox (MPOX) is a viral zoonotic disease affecting endemically the Central and Western regions of Africa. The ongoing outbreak in non-endemic countries has made this disease a global concern. While no cases have been reported in Algeria, it is important to raise awareness about the disease to pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infectious disease reports 2024-04, Vol.16 (2), p.170-180
Main Authors: Lounis, Mohamed, Hamimes, Ahmed, Dahmani, Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptance
Algeria
Anniversaries
Attitudes
Conspiracy
COVID-19 vaccines
Disease prevention
Disease transmission
Education
Epidemics
Epidemiology
health and life science students
Immunization
Knowledge
Knowledge representation
Life sciences
monkeypox
Mpox
Outbreaks
Pandemics
Privacy
Public awareness
Questionnaires
Smallpox
Social networks
Students
vaccine hesitancy
Vaccines
Zoonoses
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Summary:Monkeypox (MPOX) is a viral zoonotic disease affecting endemically the Central and Western regions of Africa. The ongoing outbreak in non-endemic countries has made this disease a global concern. While no cases have been reported in Algeria, it is important to raise awareness about the disease to prepare for a potential outbreak, especially in light of the cases reported in neighboring Middle East and North African (MENA) countries. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of Algerian Health and Life Sciences students toward MPOX and its vaccine through an anonymous online survey. A total of 196 students participated in this study. Students of medicine (64.3%), females (85.7%), and those under 20 years of age (55.1%) were the most represented. The results revealed a low level of knowledge represented by a score of only 42.8% for correct answers with multiple gaps in epidemiology, etiology, and clinical manifestations of MPOX. Students of veterinary sciences showed the highest levels of knowledge (OR: 6.71; CI95%: 1.23–36.77), while those aged between 20 and 30 years old (OR: 0.11; CI95%: 0.02–0.79) and those vaccinated against seasonal flu (OR: 0.42; CI95%: 0.21–0.85) were associated with low levels of knowledge. Regarding MPOX vaccination, the study found a moderate level of acceptance (48.5%) among the surveyed students with Natural and Life Sciences students and those having a high vaccine conspiracy belief score (VCBS) showing the lowest level of acceptance. These findings highlight the need for educational programs and intensified public awareness campaigns to improve knowledge about MPOX and emphasize the importance of vaccination in preventing outbreaks and overcoming vaccine reluctance.
ISSN:2036-7449
2036-7430
2036-7449
DOI:10.3390/idr16020013