BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: After approval of the first COVID-19 vaccines in Germany, vaccination prioritization and vaccination preparedness are central topics in the discussion on strategies to end the pandemic. How ophthalmologists evaluate their risk of infection and whether they are willing to be vaccinated has not been investigated so far. The aim of this project was to assess the subjective rating of the risk of infection and the willingness to be vaccinated among German ophthalmologists. METHODS: Data were collected by an anonymous online survey conducted by the Professional Association of Ophthalmologists in Germany (BVA) and the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) under the auspices of the University Eye Hospital Düsseldorf. The questionnaire was open for participation from 22 January to 12 February 2021. The survey was addressed to all colleagues in ophthalmology. RESULTS: A total of 1162 completed questionnaires were analyzed. On average, survey respondents rated their risk of infection as 7.5â¯± 1.9 (scale of 1-10; 1â¯= very low risk, 10â¯= very high risk). Of the respondents 971 (83.6%) rated their risk of infection as higher compared to other disciplines and 92.9% (nâ¯= 1079) indicated they would be willing to be vaccinated. CONCLUSION: The ophthalmologists interviewed consider their professional group to be exposed to an above-average risk of SARS-COV­2 infection compared to other disciplines. They frequently criticized the prioritization ranking of the German Ministry of Health (BMG), which deviated from the suggestions of the Standing Vaccination Committee of Germany (STIKO). The willingness to be vaccinated was very high among the surveyed German ophthalmologists.
[Assessment of subjective risk of infection and willingness to vaccinate against SARS-CoV-2 among German ophthalmologists : Results of a survey by DOG and BVA]./ Einschätzung des subjektiven Infektionsrisikos und Impfbereitschaft gegen SARS-CoV-2 unter deutschen Augenärzten : Ergebnisse einer Umfrage von DOG und BVA