TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of immunity and vaccination certificates among the general population
T2 - A nested study within a serosurvey of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (SEROCoV-POP)
AU - SEROCoV-POP study team
AU - Mayssam, Nehme
AU - Silvia, Stringhini
AU - Idris, Guessous
AU - Stringhini, Silvia
AU - Guessous, Idris
AU - Azman, Andrew S.
AU - Baysson, Hélène
AU - Collombet, Prune
AU - de Ridder, David
AU - d'Ippolito, Paola
AU - Dibner, Yaron
AU - Francioli, Natalie
AU - Marcus, Kailing
AU - Martinez, Chantal
AU - Noel, Natacha
AU - Pennacchio, Francesco
AU - Petrovic, Dusan
AU - Picazio, Attilio
AU - Piumatti, Giovanni
AU - Portier, Jane
AU - Pugin, Caroline
AU - Rakotomiaramanana, Barinjaka
AU - Richard, Aude
AU - Schrempft, Stephanie
AU - Zaballa, Maria Eugenia
AU - Wisniak, Ania
AU - Flahault, Antoine
AU - Vernez, Isabelle Arm
AU - Keiser, Olivia
AU - Mattera, Loan
AU - Schellongova, Magdalena
AU - Burton-Jeangros, Claudine
AU - Kaiser, Laurent
AU - Lescuyer, Pierre
AU - Poulain, Géraldine
AU - Vuilleumier, Nicolas
AU - Yerly, Sabine
AU - Bahta, Sultan
AU - Barbolini, Jonathan
AU - Butzberger, Rebecca
AU - Cattani, Sophie
AU - Davidovic, Alioucha
AU - Daeniker, Antoine
AU - de Weck, Eugénie
AU - Dubas, Céline
AU - Duc, Joséphine
AU - Eelbode, Céline
AU - Favre, Benoit
AU - Gilson, Alice
AU - Guérin, Julie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 EMH Swiss Medical Publishers Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/11/17
Y1 - 2020/11/17
N2 - At a time when COVID-19 immunity certificates are debated and vaccination certificates might potentially be made available if an effective vaccine is established, we conducted a study to elucidate public opinion on this issue. Our objective was to determine social and individual perceptions of COVID-19 immunity certificates through a population-based study. A nested survey within the SEROCoV-POP study, a population-based serosurvey of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Geneva, Switzerland, was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was proposed to 1520 SEROCoV-POP participants. Measures included percentage of participants agreeing or disagreeing with statements on immunity and vaccination certificates. Stratification by age, gender, education and work status was used to examine socio-demographic variations. Of the 1520 SEROCoV-POP participants, 1425 completed the questionnaire (response rate 93%; mean age ± standard deviation 52 ± 15.1 years; 51.9% women). About 80% of participants agreed that knowing one's serology status would lead to a change in one's behaviour. In the event that the presence of antibodies correlated with immunity, 60% of participants reported that certificates should be offered to the general population. The results showed variations in perceptions of certificates depending on the context (73% agreed on certificates' utility for travel, 72% for entering a country, and 32% for the right to work). Provided an effective vaccine was available, 55% of participants agreed that vaccination should be mandatory and 49% agreed that a vaccination certificate should be mandatory. About 68% reported a potential risk of discrimination and 28% a risk of deliberate infection. Differences were seen with age, gender and education level. This study shows that the general adult population in Geneva, Switzerland can envisage scenarios where COVID-19 immunity, and eventually vaccination, certificates would be useful. Seroprevalence estimates of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies remain low to date, and the interpretability of serological testing and immunity remains undefined. However, the information from this study is important, especially the differences based on context and the socio-demographic variations, and should be taken into account if COVID-19-related certificates are to be implemented.
AB - At a time when COVID-19 immunity certificates are debated and vaccination certificates might potentially be made available if an effective vaccine is established, we conducted a study to elucidate public opinion on this issue. Our objective was to determine social and individual perceptions of COVID-19 immunity certificates through a population-based study. A nested survey within the SEROCoV-POP study, a population-based serosurvey of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Geneva, Switzerland, was conducted with a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was proposed to 1520 SEROCoV-POP participants. Measures included percentage of participants agreeing or disagreeing with statements on immunity and vaccination certificates. Stratification by age, gender, education and work status was used to examine socio-demographic variations. Of the 1520 SEROCoV-POP participants, 1425 completed the questionnaire (response rate 93%; mean age ± standard deviation 52 ± 15.1 years; 51.9% women). About 80% of participants agreed that knowing one's serology status would lead to a change in one's behaviour. In the event that the presence of antibodies correlated with immunity, 60% of participants reported that certificates should be offered to the general population. The results showed variations in perceptions of certificates depending on the context (73% agreed on certificates' utility for travel, 72% for entering a country, and 32% for the right to work). Provided an effective vaccine was available, 55% of participants agreed that vaccination should be mandatory and 49% agreed that a vaccination certificate should be mandatory. About 68% reported a potential risk of discrimination and 28% a risk of deliberate infection. Differences were seen with age, gender and education level. This study shows that the general adult population in Geneva, Switzerland can envisage scenarios where COVID-19 immunity, and eventually vaccination, certificates would be useful. Seroprevalence estimates of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies remain low to date, and the interpretability of serological testing and immunity remains undefined. However, the information from this study is important, especially the differences based on context and the socio-demographic variations, and should be taken into account if COVID-19-related certificates are to be implemented.
KW - Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies
KW - COVID-19
KW - Immunity certificate
KW - Travel
KW - Vaccination certificate
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100277752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85100277752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4414/smw.2020.20398
DO - 10.4414/smw.2020.20398
M3 - Article
C2 - 33202421
AN - SCOPUS:85100277752
SN - 1424-7860
VL - 150
JO - Swiss medical weekly
JF - Swiss medical weekly
IS - 47
M1 - w20398
ER -