COVID-19 vaccination: public preference and intention in Vietnam.

Backgrounds: Understanding public opinion in relation to vaccination is critical, as there are several COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Vietnam. This study aimed to assess public COVID-19 vaccine preferences and intention in Can Tho, Vietnam. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed between September 20 and October 20, 2021. in people aged 18 and over living in Can Tho, Vietnam, A questionnaire captured demographic information, vaccination intention, preference for vaccine selection, and barriers and motivations related to COVID-19 vaccination. Predictors for vaccination willingness among unvaccinated people were determined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Out of the proposed vaccines that have been approved by the Vietnam Ministry of Health, AstraZeneca (31.4%), Pfizer (23.5%), and Moderna (14.7%) were the most preferred by participants. Out of 1,470 respondents, 35.8% have received at least one vaccine dose, and of these, 76.9% intended to continue to receive vaccinations. Among the unvaccinated, 74.8% reported that they would be willing to complete the vaccination. Most participants stated that they would receive a COVID-19 vaccine if provided with adequate information on effectiveness and safety (92.7%). The possibility of side effects after vaccination (75.4%) was the most important barrier to vaccination. Education, health status, and prior flu-vaccination were associated with the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccination among those who had not previously received one. Conclusions: Many unvaccinated adults were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, with AstraZeneca being the preferred choice. These findings could help in the planning of vaccination campaigns to increase vaccination uptake in Vietnam.

Urban-rural disparities in acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccination among women in Can Tho, Vietnam.

Background: In Vietnam, cervical cancer is a significant public health concern for women. Unfortunately, despite the availability of the HPV vaccine, low vaccination rates persist. Objectives: This study investigates the discrepancy between urban and rural areas in the willingness to receive HPV vaccination with or without fees. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 648 women aged between 15 and 49, living in two urban and two rural Vietnamese districts of Can Tho, between May and December 2021. Results: The overall vaccination rate was 4%, with urban women having a higher rate of 4.9% compared to rural women at 3.1%. Among unvaccinated women, those from rural areas expressed a significantly higher desire to receive the free vaccine (91.4%) than urban women (84.4%). However, the intention to vaccinate declined when rural women and urban women were advised to pay the cost (63.4% and 57.1%, respectively). A strong correlation was found between a positive attitude and intention for vaccination, irrespective of its price or free availability. Education and access to information about the HPV vaccine were also identified as the most significant factors influencing the intention to vaccination among urban and rural women. Conclusion: The low HPV vaccination rates among women aged 15-49 living in both urban and rural regions of Vietnam are a notable public health concern. These outcomes emphasize the critical need for effective programs of vaccine laterization, as an introduction to the offer of affordable and accessible HPV vaccines for women in Can Tho, Vietnam.

Perspectives on COVID-19 prevention and treatment using herbal medicine in Vietnam: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The significance of herbal medicine (HM) during the COVID-19 pandemic has been confirmed. Nevertheless, limited studies have included the people perspectives on COVID-19 prevention/treatment using herbal medicine in Vietnam. Thus, this study tackled the aforementioned issue. Methods: Online-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Vietnamese adults between February-April 2021. Descriptive analysis, regression and Chi-squared tests were implemented for the statistical purposes. Results: total of 787 respondents attended the study, 368 (46.8%) confirmed that they use herbal medicine/nutritional supplements for COVID-19 prevention/treatment. Over 50% of the respondents possessed positive perspective on vitamin C ingestion. Using herbal medicine for external use as a disinfectant was mostly preferred. Respondents who had a 'very good' health self-perception or who lived in rural areas, were more likely to have a positive opinion in the COVID-19 prevention/treatment using herbal medicine. The main barrier for herbal medicine utilization was the deficiency of personal experience or expert advice. Conclusion: The Vietnamese people commonly utilize herbal medicine for the COVID-19 prevention/treatment. These data might help policy-makers in managing the public knowledge and practice on herbal medicine use in Vietnam.

Quantum thermodynamics approach to phosphorylation and heterotrophic growth yields.

A model of cell growth is presented which is based on the double postulates of quantized loss of energy during phosphorylation and reversible biosynthesis of cell structure. An immediate consequence of the postulates is the identical value for the energy efficiency of the phosphorylation and for that of the whole growth process. Another consequence is the relationship between the energy level of the biomass and the phosphorylation potential as embodied in the equation: EO = gamma'M X EATP, where EO is the heat of transfer of a pair of electrons to oxygen, EATP, the molar heat of hydrolysis of ATP, and gamma'M, the degree of reduction of the biomass, gamma M being constant and equal to 5. The model predicts five levels of growth yields corresponding to five permissible values for the P/O ratio (r = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4). Any growth process would be characterized by a set of two integers N and lambda; N is the maximal P/O ratio prescribed by the energy content of the substrate as compared with that of the biomass, and lambda the number of further downward quantum jumps of the P/O ratio resulting from the adversity of the growth condition (N - lambda = r). Under full aerobiosis, one has 0 less than or equal to lambda less than or equal to N less than or equal to 3. When growth is limited only by the energy content of the substrate (lambda = 0), the time-independent dispersion of N, owing to substrate-level phosphorylations and (or) dephosphorylations, leads to effective values which are higher than the nominal ones for the yield per mole of oxygen and the heat of transfer of a pair of electrons. Under adverse conditions (lambda greater than 0), the apparent variations of the yields and the P/O ratio in function of the growth rate are shown to be an effect of the random dispersion of lambda and of the existence of a maximal rate of substrate consumption. Statistical evidence for the macroscopic quantum effect in heterotrophic growth is presented.