COVID-19 in Morocco: Nurses’ Knowledge of Anti-COVID-19 Vaccines and Their Involvement in Vaccine Vigilance

TL;DR

This study examines Moroccan nurses' knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines and their role in monitoring vaccine safety, revealing significant gaps in understanding and training.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into nurses' knowledge and training needs regarding vaccines and pharmacovigilance in Morocco.

Findings

60% of nurses were unaware of the nature of COVID-19 vaccines.

76.5% had not received pharmacovigilance training during the pandemic.

Fever, malaise, and anxiety were the most reported adverse effects.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the crucial role of nurses in managing health crises, particularly in implementing vaccination campaigns launched in many countries worldwide. This descriptive study assesses nurses’ knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines and their involvement in vaccine vigilance. Conducted over four months in 2022 among 200 primary healthcare nurses in the Fès-Meknès region, the data were collected using a questionnaire developed and validated by a multidisciplinary team. The results show that 60% of participants self-reported being unaware of the nature of COVID-19 vaccines, and 49.5% did not understand the concept of vaccine pharmacovigilance. Additionally, 76.5% had not received any pharmacovigilance training in this pandemic context, 80% had never been in contact with pharmacovigilance centers, and 48.5% expressed a need for training in this field. One-third of the participants were unaware of severe adverse effects. The most frequently reported adverse effects were fever (76.5%), malaise (73%), and anxiety (63%). These results highlight the importance of strengthening continuous training and improving the coordination among various healthcare sector stakeholders to reduce vaccine hesitancy, enhance healthcare expertise, and ensure the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns during current and future pandemics.

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