PERSPECTIVES - Understanding perspectives about COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination among school staff in Switzerland. A mixed-methods study

Children are at lower risk of developing severe COVID-19 than adolescents and adults, but they represent a transmission risk. To reduce the spread of the infection during periods of high infection rates, schools closed and moved to remote learning in many countries and municipalities around the world. However, closing schools means huge costs not only on children and families but also on society as a whole. For this reason, Switzerland maintains the position that schools should be prioritized to remain open, with teachers and school staff being a top priority for COVID-19 vaccination. However, currently there is little data regarding vaccine acceptance among teaching staff in Switzerland, and even less about reasons for or against vaccination. This mixed-methods study aims to address the data gap by measuring and exploring opinions and perspectives regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination among a sample of individuals working in nurseries, kindergartens, primary schools, and after-schools across German-, French-, and Italian-speaking Switzerland. The study results will help understand people's different perspectives on COVID-19 vaccination so that communication and health policies can best respond to these realities.