Knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination in Vietnam: A population survey.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine acceptance is essential in controlling the virus. Vaccine knowledge influences vaccine acceptance and understanding this is vital in planning immunization strategies. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the public COVID-19 vaccine knowledge levels and predictors of low knowledge levels in Vietnam. METHODS: A cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted between April 16 and July 16, 2021. To examine the community knowledge levels regarding the vaccine essentialness and efficacy, a self-administered questionnaire was developed and comprised 7 questions with 5 Likert scale responses corresponding to the levels of agreement or disagreement with the provided statements and scores ranging from 0 to 4. An individual's knowledge score above the mean score of all participants was defined as "acceptable" and that below was defined as "low." RESULTS: Among 1708 respondents, the mean age was 34.3 ± 13.4 years, 942 (55.2%) were females, and 797 (46.7%) had acceptable knowledge levels. Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.984 [95% CI 0.972-0.995], P = 0.005) and being vaccinated against COVID-19 (0.653 [0.431-0.991], P = 0.045) were inversely associated with lower knowledge levels. Those with a Gapminder income of $8 to < $15 per day (1.613 [1.117-2.329], P = 0.001), $2 to < $8 (2.093 [1.313-3.335], P = 0.002), and < $2 (3.341 [1.951-5.722], P < 0.001), less than a high school education (4.214 [1.616-10.988], P = 0.003), and nonclinical professionals and nonhealth lecturers (1.83 [1.146-2.922], P = 0.01) were positively associated with lower knowledge levels. CONCLUSION: To ensure a successful vaccine rollout, it is crucial to improve community knowledge about vaccine essentialness and efficacy. Those who are at young age, who have low income or education levels, and working in nonclinical and nonhealth education fields should be the target of the intervention programs. Community education programs may benefit from using those who have been immunized as role models.

Dexamethasone in Vietnamese adolescents and adults with bacterial meningitis.

BACKGROUND: It is uncertain whether all adults with bacterial meningitis benefit from treatment with adjunctive dexamethasone. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of dexamethasone in 435 patients over the age of 14 years who had suspected bacterial meningitis. The goal was to determine whether dexamethasone reduced the risk of death at 1 month and the risk of death or disability at 6 months. RESULTS: A total of 217 patients were assigned to the dexamethasone group, and 218 to the placebo group. Bacterial meningitis was confirmed in 300 patients (69.0%), probable meningitis was diagnosed in 123 patients (28.3%), and an alternative diagnosis was made in 12 patients (2.8%). An intention-to-treat analysis of all the patients showed that dexamethasone was not associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death at 1 month (relative risk, 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45 to 1.39) or the risk of death or disability at 6 months (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.47 to 1.17). In patients with confirmed bacterial meningitis, however, there was a significant reduction in the risk of death at 1 month (relative risk, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.94) and in the risk of death or disability at 6 months (odds ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.98). These effects were not found in patients with probable bacterial meningitis. Results of multivariate analysis indicated that dexamethasone treatment for patients with probable bacterial meningitis was significantly associated with an increased risk of death at 1 month, an observation that may be explained by cases of tuberculous meningitis in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Dexamethasone does not improve the outcome in all adolescents and adults with suspected bacterial meningitis; a beneficial effect appears to be confined to patients with microbiologically proven disease, including those who have received prior treatment with antibiotics. (Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN42986828 [controlled-trials.com] .).

Factors related with induced abortion among primigravid women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

A case-control study was conducted between July and August 2001 in Ho Chi Minh City to investigate factors associated with having induced abortions among primigravid women aged 16 to 38 years. Interviews were conducted with 87 women undergoing abortion (cases) and 81 pregnant women coming for antenatal care (controls). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.84) and being married (OR = 0.05) decreased the risk of getting unintended pregnancy leading to abortion. Risk factors of obtaining an abortion were not being exposed to family planning promotion on television (OR = 2.28) and not knowing the adverse effects of abortion (OR = 10.26). Descriptive analysis of contraceptive behavior showed that 41% of cases had never used contraceptives and the reason for non-usage was lack of knowledge of any type of contraceptives in 43% of the cases. Additionally, only 24% of cases had discussed about family planning with their partners. Effective contraceptive methods should be promoted among young population, both females and males, and they need to be informed of the consequences of abortion. Television programs might be an effective mode of providing the information.