Vaccination hesitancy among medical interns against Covid-19 : experience of compulsory vaccination in France

Context. Covid-19 has caused more than 6.9 million deaths across the world by October 2023. Vaccination against Covid-19 has demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing the risk of developing a serious form of the disease. Vaccination hesitancy, defined as "delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services" remained the main obstacle to obtaining optimal vaccination coverage in France and has been studied among healthcare professionals. No study explored vaccine hesitancy among medical interns. Aims. To explore the construction of vaccine hesitancy among medical interns, in the context of compulsory vaccination for healthcare professionals in France against Covid-19. Methods. Qualitative study with phenomenological analysis among medical interns in Nice at the time of compulsory vaccination in France and who hesitated to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Data were collected during individual semi-structured interviews after homogeneous sampling. Results. Seven participants were included in the study. The intern's vaccination hesitancy was structured around four themes: perception of the virus and its vaccines, intern's experience, information circuit, compulsory vaccination and led the intern into a vicious circle encouraging him to withdraw into himself and not express his apprehensions, then ultimately to psychological suffering. Hesitant interns would have liked easier access to scientific information and to be able to express their apprehensions without fear of stigmatization. Discussion. Defining the respective roles of the intern and their university internship supervisor in the search for information and offering friendly mediation to hesitant interns seemed to be assets for reducing their vaccine hesitancy.