Vaccine Hesitancy among Medical Students at a Tertiary Hospital-Affiliated Medical School.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused a global pandemic with long-lasting economic and cultural impacts. International governments have attempted to scale up vaccine production to mitigate this crisis. However, vaccine hesitancy, particularly among healthcare providers, remains an understudied subject that may hinder vaccine effectiveness. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate vaccine hesitancy among medical students using a pre-validated survey based on the 5C model of psychological antecedents, which includes confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility. RESULTS: The majority of medical students had high scores for confidence (79.7%), non-complacency (88%), and not having constraints against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (97.4%). Surprisingly, students had low scores for calculation (38%) and collective responsibility (14.7%). Many predictors of the psychological antecedents included in the 5C model have been reported, including academic year and gender. CONCLUSION: We observed moderate levels of vaccine hesitancy among the medical students included in our study. We urge medical students to be more aware of community public health concerns. We recommend that authorized institutions lay out urgent reforms to increase awareness of COVID-19 and available vaccines.

Efficacy and safety of vesatolimod in chronic hepatitis B: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vesatolimod is a toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist that is thought to suppress chronic hepatitis B (HBV) infection. This systematic review aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of vesatolimod in treating chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: We included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed vesatolimod in patients with hepatitis B infection without hepatocellular carcinoma or liver transplantation and with reported levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or liver transaminases post-intervention. We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Springer, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials for all related articles during May 2022. Two independent authors screened articles for inclusion, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus and a third reviewer. Two independent reviewers assessed studies included in this systematic review using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for RCTs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Only 4 were considered eligible from 391 articles identified through our search. All eligible studies did not report any clinically significant outcomes following the use of vesatolimod, as evidenced by the persistence of HBsAg. However, vesatolimod was associated with induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) and only mild side effects, warranting further studies to evaluate its potential for future use as a safe, tolerable anti-HBV medication. No significant differences were noted amongst trials included in either of Vesatolimod doses (Vesatolimod 1 mg, RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.76-1.30, P = .95, I2 = 0%; Vesatolimod 2 mg, RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.82-1.37, P = .66, I2 = 0%; Vesatolimod 4 mg, RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.82-1.37, P = .66, I2 = 0%;), further suggesting its comparable safety in comparison to oral antiviral agents.

Influential Factors for Selecting a Plastic Surgeon: A National Survey in Saudi Arabia.

Knowing what attracts cosmetic patients to a specific surgeon can help current cosmetic surgeons and aspiring ones improve themselves and better market their practice. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the influential factors when selecting an aesthetic surgeon for a cosmetic procedure in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, nationwide study targeting the public from all regions of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted between September 21 and October 29, 2021. The self-structured electronic survey was based on previously published studies and was revised by two academic plastic surgeons. Results: This study included a total of 7190 participants from all regions of Saudi Arabia. The most influential factor for choosing an aesthetic surgeon was the surgeon's qualifications (39.9%), followed by friends and relatives' advice (24%) and hospital/clinic environment (10.2%), while the number of social media followers was the least favorable factor (0.8%). Additionally, the most preferred aesthetic surgeon was a surgeon with international board certification (mean score, 4.17). Conclusions: This study showed that the most common factor for choosing an aesthetic surgeon was the surgeons' qualifications. Thus, Saudi aesthetic surgeons and aspiring Saudi aesthetic surgeons must focus on obtaining high qualifications to attract more patients. Furthermore, an internationally board-certified surgeon is the most preferred surgeon for Saudi Arabian patients; thus, traveling abroad to world-renowned institutions is recommended.