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Vaishnavi L Gopaul,* Lacey Winstone,* Beatrice G Gatien,* Braydon D Nault, Sujit Maiti, Reid M Opperman, Mousumi Majumder Department of Biology, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, Canada*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mousumi Majumder, Email majumderm@brandonu.caBackground: YWHAB (14-3-3 Beta) was found in the secretome of miR-526b and miR-655 overexpressed breast cancer (BRCA) cell lines. The potential of YWHAB as a therapeutic target or biomarker for BRCA is investigated here.Methods: After YWHAB was knocked down with siRNA, BRCA cell lines were used for in vitro assays (proliferation, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition). In silico analysis and in situ validation with BRCA plasma and biopsy tissues were used to test YWHAB’s biomarker potential.Results: YWHAB RNA and protein expression are elevated in aggressive BRCA cell lines, and the knockdown of YWHAB inhibited cell migration, proliferation, and EMT in all subtypes of tumour cell lines. YWHAB expression is significantly higher in BRCA biopsy tissue and blood plasma compared to control tissues and benign plasmas. YWHAB is expressed in all hormonal subtypes of BRCA tumours and has shown increased expression in advanced tumour stages. Its high expression is linked to poor patient survival. YWHAB is a sensitivity tumour marker (AUC of 0.7340, p = 0.0012) but is not a promising blood biomarker. Nevertheless, combined with pri-miR-526b, YWHAB mRNA expression shows potential as a BRCA blood biomarker (AUC of 0.711, p = 0.032), which must be validated in a larger sample set.Conclusion: We elucidate the novel role of YWHAB as a therapeutic target in BRCA, given that its inhibition mitigated aggressive phenotypes across all tumour subtypes, including triple-negative breast cancer. Furthermore, YWHAB emerges as a potential tumour marker, exhibiting high expression in metastatic BRCA and correlating with poor patient survival; however, it is not a sensitive blood biomarker. Keywords: breast cancer, microRNA, miRNA, miR-526b, miR-655, YWHAB, 14-3-3 Beta, biomarker, migration, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, proliferation

Md Anwarul Azim Majumder,1 Abdulmuhaimin Aslam Khatib,2 Taha Alhassan,3 Mohammed S Razzaque2,3 1The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados; 2Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA; 3Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Texas (UTRGV), Edinburg, Texas, USACorrespondence: Mohammed S Razzaque, Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Texas (UTRGV), 1204 W Schunior Street, Edinburg, Texas, 78541, USA, Tel +1 (956) 296 2314, Email mohammed.razzaque@utrgv.eduAbstract: This article describes the evolving landscape of medical education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the renewed importance of public health, mental well-being, and career choices among medical students. The pandemic has prompted a significant shift in medical student’s career aspirations, highlighting the need for mental health support mechanisms within the medical education framework. Medical students’ career choices are influenced directly and indirectly by the challenges and experiences of the pandemic era, which are discussed in this article under four key themes: traditional values, global health interests and disparities, developing trends, and digital healthcare. There is an urgent need to adjust medical training to the new reality and share the future directions of the medical education landscape by embracing diverse career paths in medicine, integrating technology into medical training, adapting to the changing context of medicine, and strengthening collaboration and communication. The pandemic underscores the importance of evidence-based patient care, necessitating the preparation of tomorrow’s doctors to address the emerging healthcare challenges with resilience, adaptability, and a comprehensive understanding of both local and global health challenges.Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, career aspirations, medical students, impact

Ambadasu Bharatha,1 Nkemcho Ojeh,1 Ahbab Mohammad Fazle Rabbi,2 Michael H Campbell,1 Kandamaran Krishnamurthy,1 Rhaheem NA Layne-Yarde,1 Alok Kumar,1 Dale CR Springer,1 Kenneth L Connell,1 Md Anwarul Azim Majumder1 1Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados; 2Department of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, BangladeshCorrespondence: Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, Director of Medical Education, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, Email azim.majumder@cavehill.uwi.edu Ambadasu Bharatha, Lecturer in Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, Email ambadasu.bharatha@cavehill.uwi.eduIntroduction: This research investigated the capabilities of ChatGPT-4 compared to medical students in answering MCQs using the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy as a benchmark.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at The University of the West Indies, Barbados. ChatGPT-4 and medical students were assessed on MCQs from various medical courses using computer-based testing.Results: The study included 304 MCQs. Students demonstrated good knowledge, with 78% correctly answering at least 90% of the questions. However, ChatGPT-4 achieved a higher overall score (73.7%) compared to students (66.7%). Course type significantly affected ChatGPT-4’s performance, but revised Bloom’s Taxonomy levels did not. A detailed association check between program levels and Bloom’s taxonomy levels for correct answers by ChatGPT-4 showed a highly significant correlation (p< 0.001), reflecting a concentration of “remember-level” questions in preclinical and “evaluate-level” questions in clinical courses.Discussion: The study highlights ChatGPT-4’s proficiency in standardized tests but indicates limitations in clinical reasoning and practical skills. This performance discrepancy suggests that the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) varies based on course content.Conclusion: While ChatGPT-4 shows promise as an educational tool, its role should be supplementary, with strategic integration into medical education to leverage its strengths and address limitations. Further research is needed to explore AI’s impact on medical education and student performance across educational levels and courses.Keywords: artificial intelligence, ChatGPT-4’s, medical students, knowledge, interpretation abilities, multiple choice questions

This in silico study has been designed to validate ethnomedicinal properties of some Himalayan fermented ethnic beverages against varied high-altitude sicknesses. Traditional beverages like tongba, chhyang, nigar and finger-millet raksi (supplemented with ethnomedicines like khokim and chimphing) were considered in this study which were sampled from villages situated in Singalila Ridge of the Himalayas. Seven major metabolites such as ethyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside; meranzin; auraptene; cis-vaccenic acid; cyclo(pro-gly); cyclo(leu-pro); and 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one were investigated in silico to provide insights to their efficiency in alleviating major altitude illnesses (pulmonary edema and hypoxia); high-altitude respiratory infections; pain or inflammation; cardiovascular problems; gastrointestinal diseases and disorders; and high-altitude neurological diseases and disorders. Computational tools such as Molinspiration Chemoinformatics, SwissADME, Molsoft program and vNN-ADMET were employed to evaluate physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics and ADMET parameters. Binding affinities were computed using Auto Dock Tools. In silico pharmacokinetics and ADMET revealed bioactivity potentials of selected metabolites which are associated to treat high-altitude sickness. A total of 175 combinations of receptor-ligand docking interactions were considered out of which 141 combinations exhibited a binding energy score of ≤ -5 and 29 combinations scored ≤ -7. Outcome of this computational research affirm the effectiveness of high-altitude’s traditional drinks in healing high-altitudinal stresses.

An attempt was made to evaluate histopathological changes in the gills, liver, and kidney tissues of the freshwater teleost Oreochromis niloticus as biomarkers of chlorpyrifos toxicity. An experiment was conducted in glass aquaria with O. niloticus exposed for 28 days to sub-lethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos of 0.0 µg L−1 (control), 10 µg L−1, and 20 µg L−1. Chlorpyrifos caused distortions of the primary gill lamellae structure, the curling of secondary lamellae, desquamation, and epithelial hyperplasia on secondary gill filaments. Hepatocyte vacuolation and nuclear membrane necrosis were found in the liver. Additionally, the shrinkage of the glomeruli, thickening of Bowman’s capsule, glomerular and tubular necrosis, intracytoplasmic vacuoles, and hyaline degeneration in the renal tubule were seen in the kidney of O. niloticus exposed to chlorpyrifos. No remarkable lesions were observed in the control group. The severity of lesions in the fish tissues was assessed using the standard semi-quantitative grading system. The degree of histopathological lesions in various fish tissues was found to increase with chlorpyrifos concentrations. Histopathological lesions appeared to be good biomarkers of chlorpyrifos toxicity.

Over the past years, the tea industry in India has started to suffer from various drawbacks, i.e. issues regarding low productivity and rising input costs (namely the uneconomic age profile of tea bushes across the tea estates of North Bengal), leading to a decline in the industry and dramatic expansion of small tea growers. Accordingly, the vast expansion of small tea plantations in North Bengal prompted this study to examine the purpose and outcome of such an expansion concept. In the present study, Bhotepatty, Maynaguri (the Jalpaiguri district), was considered due to an immense conversion of agricultural land into numerous small tea plantations in the region. The study focuses on the agricultural shift from potato fields to small tea gardens. Initially, a cumulative approach encompassing the preliminary survey work and analysis of soil physicochemical characteristics was adopted to assess the adequacy of this agricultural shift. The survey conducted revealed the lack of proper land preparation, land rehabilitation before planting, sound soil nutrient management, and soil testing programs after shifting (responsible for the depletion of major nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus in the tea soil, which can be resolved with proper and timely manuring practices). Sulphur and the organic matter, organic carbon and available nitrogen of the top soil were detected in huge amounts compared to the optimum values suggested by the Tea Board of India.

Nkemcho Ojeh,1 Heather Harewood,1 Natalie Greaves,1 Natasha Sobers,2 Koelle Boyce,3 Paula Michele Lashley,1 O Peter Adams,1 Joanne Paul-Charles,1 Md Anwarul Azim Majumder1 1Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados; 2George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados; 3Campus Quality Assurance Office, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, BarbadosCorrespondence: Md Anwarul Azim Majumder; Heather Harewood, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados, Tel +1 246 4691 ; +1 246 4703, Fax +1 438 9170, Email azim.majumder@cavehill.uwi.edu; heather.harewood@cavehill.uwi.eduIntroduction: Learning style (LS) frameworks have been implemented by educators to promote participatory learning in order to strengthen learner engagement and to enhance learning outcomes. Self-efficacy has been shown to have an association with learning style and is a predictor of clinical performance and other qualities in medical students. This study examined the perspectives of second and final year medical students in a Caribbean-based medical school, relative to their learning approaches, teaching exposures and preparation for assessments.Methods: An interpretivist qualitative approach was used to analyze data from two focus groups, conducted as part of a sequential mixed-methods study (November 2018-February 2019) with medical students in the second and final year of study. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and inductively coded with in-depth thematic analysis assisted by NVivo software.Results: Six Year 2 (Female: Male = 5:1) and seven Year 5 (Female: Male = 5:2) participants, ranging between 18 and 34 years and with a range of LS were recruited into the study. Analysis and data reduction produced three organizing themes: “Dynamics of information delivery and acquisition”, “Pivoting”, and “LS identification, awareness and mutability”, and the global construct “Individual and environmental factors modulate the influence of LS preference in triggering self-efficacy”. In managing information received in class, students used textbooks, YouTube videos, and collaborative learning to augment perceived gaps in lectures and their personal notes. Learning style self-awareness is useful for facilitating self-efficacy throughout medical school, especially at points of transition within the programme of study.Conclusion: LS theory and testing appear to be useful for student and teacher awareness. In practice, honing students’ adaptability to varying learning settings may be more relevant in helping students achieve self-efficacy.Keywords: self-efficacy, VARK questionnaire, focus group discussion, pre-clinical and clinical education, Caribbean

The present study aims to focus the turbulent flow characteristics over arrays of submerged boulders in a gravel bed stream. Round shaped boulders of diameter, Dc = 6 cm were staggered over a gravel bed stream (d50 = 4 cm) with varying boulder-to-boulder spacing and the flows over the arrays were studied experimentally. The flow measurements were carried out by an acoustic Doppler velocimeter and the double averaging methodology (DAM) was applied. The results of large spacing boulder array reveals near-bed velocity deficit within 1Dc upstream to 5Dc downstream of the boulder and no influence on the approaching velocity was observed after 5Dc corroborating the recovery of boundary layer. In case of medium and small spacing boulder array, the velocity deficit is significant at all locations. The shear stress distributions depict development of high and low bed shear stresses causing redistributions of the local bed shear stress. The higher magnitude of shear stress is observed at the boulder crest whereas; the secondary peak near the gravel bed crest is attributed to the skin shear stress on the individual boulder. Moreover, the present research contributes to our understanding that the boulder array on a rough bed stream leads to higher turbulent intensity at the boulder crest level.

Travelling salesman problem (TSP) is a well known combinatorial optimization problem which has drawn colossal attention due to its eclectic range of applications. In this article, we have proposed two modified versions of intelligent water drops (IWD) algorithm. The first one is the enhanced IWD (e-IWD) algorithm to solve single objective TSP. In the second modification, e-IWD algorithm has been extended to enhanced multi-objective IWD(e-MIWD) algorithm for solving multi-objective TSP. In order to achieve a better exploration capability in both of the proposed algorithms, the soil and velocity parameters of a randomly selected water drop are updated after every iteration of the algorithm when it traverses all the intermediate vertices for a tour. The proposed algorithms have been compared with some other existing similar algorithms on different benchmark instances of TSPs. Furthermore, we have addressed the TSP for both single and multiple objectives under uncertain environment.

Michael H Campbell,1 Sandeep Maharaj,2 Katija Khan,2,3 Bidyadhar Sa,2 O Peter Adams,1 Md Anwarul Azim Majumder1 1The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados; 2The Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago; 3The Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and TobagoCorrespondence: Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados, Tel +1 246 8228160, Email azim.majumder@cavehill.uwi.eduPurpose: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a swift transition to online learning in medical and health sciences. This study investigated the associations of previous experience with online learning, current confidence with online learning, and resilient coping skills with perceived stress reported by pharmacy students during the emergency transition to online learning.Methods: Undergraduate pharmacy students (N=113, response rate = 41%) completed an online, self-report, cross-sectional survey during April-June 2020. Measures included Likert items measuring prior experience and current comfort levels with online learning, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), and the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item Version (PSS-10). Experience, comfort with online learning, reported scores, and internal consistency for the BRCS and PSS-10 were summarized. A linear regression model examined the associations of prior experience with online education, gender, and resilient coping with perceived stress.Results: Of the 113 respondents (78% female, mean age 22.3 years), > 50% had only occasional prior experience with online learning, coursework, and examinations, but 63% expressed confidence with online learning. Mean PSS-10 and BRCS scores were 23.8 and 13.3, respectively, and both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (α > 0.80). BRCS score was the single predictor of the PSS-10 score (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.001). Female gender was not a significant predictor (p = 0.11). A multiple regression model explained moderate variation in perceived stress (adjusted R2 = 0.19).Conclusion: PSS-10 and BRCS scores indicated moderate levels of stress and coping skills among students during online teaching. Most students had some prior exposure to online learning, coursework, and examinations. Higher resiliency scores, but not prior online learning experience, predicted lower perceived stress.Keywords: health professions, pharmacy education, online learning, pandemic, perceived stress scale, brief resilient coping scale, Caribbean

Md Anwarul Azim Majumder,1,2 Keerti Singh,2 WMS Johnson,3 Archana Rajasundaram,3 Subir Gupta,2 Uma Gaur,2 Santosh Kumar,4 Madhuri Chatterjee,5 Ahbab Mohammad Fazle Rabbi,6 Vijay Prasad Sangishetti,7 Sayeeda Rahman,8 Michael H Campbell,2 Heather Harewood,2 Ambadasu Bharatha,2 Kandamaran Krishnamurthy,2 Russell Kabir,9 Ali Davod Parsa,9 Shegufta Mohammmad,10 Mainul Haque,11 Mohammed S Razzaque12 1Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 2Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, Barbados; 3Department of Anatomy, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 4Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India; 5Department of Pharmacology, Shri Ramkrishna Institute of Medical Science, Durgapur, West Bengal, India; 6Department of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 7Department of Pharmacology, Govt. Medical College, Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, India; 8School of Medicine, American University of Integrative Sciences (AUIS), Bridgetown, Barbados; 9Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, Essex, UK; 10BRAC Learning Division, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; 11Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (National Defence University of Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia; 12Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, USACorrespondence: WMS Johnson, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, Email johnsonmoses@gmail.com; johnsonmoses@yahoo.com Mainul Haque, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Email runurono@gmail.com; mainul@upnm.edu.myBackground: Efficacy and safety are fundamental for the development of successful COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine-associated side effects influence vaccine hesitancy. This study investigated the prevalence, severity, and onset of side effects following the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines among physicians and dentists working in various healthcare settings across India.Methods: A cross-sectional survey collected self-report data from April to June 2021 on side effects following the first dose of the vaccine. An online validated questionnaire using the Google Docs® platform was circulated via email and social media platforms.Results: More than 40% of participants experienced at least one side effect after the first dose of vaccination; the most common were mild and resolved within three days after vaccination. More than 91% of respondents received the Covishield (AstraZeneca) vaccine; the most prevalent adverse effects were soreness of the injected arm (78.9%), tiredness (71.1%), and fever (54.9%). Logistic regression showed that women were almost 60% less likely to report side effects.Conclusion: Findings supported the safety of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine based on relatively few self-limiting side effects, mainly soreness of the injected arm and tiredness. Further research is needed to determine the long-term safety of COVID-19 vaccines, especially after booster doses.Keywords: prevalence, adverse effects, COVID-19 vaccine, physicians, dentists, India

Tongba, a millet-based fermented ethnic drink of the Limbu and other Nepalese-Tibetan communities, is consumed in the highlands of Singalila Ridge of the Himalayas and the adjoining high-altitude places of Nepal, the northern and north-eastern parts of India, and the Tibetan Plateau and is valued for its ethnomedicinal properties. In this research, the GCMS-based metabolite profiling of an authentic sample of tongba was carried out, identifying various bioactive metabolites. Several biologically active components, such as glycoside, amino acids, fatty acids, and other long-chain hydrocarbon derivatives, terpenoids and phenol, were detected in tongba, which have therapeutic properties against various high-altitude illnesses. Probable biosynthesis routes of those compounds in tongba’s broth were also studied, where many similarities were noticed with the Japanese beverage sake. The key finding of this metabolomic investigation was the detection of bioactive ethyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and cyclo(L-Leu-L-Pro) with abundant peak areas, which confirmed tongba’s therapeutic importance in high-altitude illnesses and its metabolomic similarities with sake.

Paula Michele Lashley,1 Natasha P Sobers,2 Michael H Campbell,1 Maisha K Emmanuel,1 Natalie Greaves,1 Marquita Gittens-St Hilaire,1 Madhuvanti M Murphy,1 Md Anwarul Azim Majumder1 1Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados; 2George Alleyne Chronic Diseases Research Centre (GA CDRC), The University of the West Indies, Bridgetown, BarbadosCorrespondence: Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados, Tel +1 246 8228160, Fax +1 246 438 9170, Email azim.majumder@cavehill.uwi.eduPurpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to medical education and clinical training and resulted in stressors that impede student learning. This study aimed to assess student satisfaction and self-efficacy in a novel online clinical clerkship curriculum delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Fourth- and fifth-year medical students completed an online survey in January 2021 covering the following areas: student satisfaction, self-efficacy, and perceived effectiveness of online versus face-to-face learning.Results: Just over half of students (51%) were satisfied with online clerkship delivery. However, fewer than half of students (46%) believed online learning effectively increased their knowledge, compared to 56% of students who believed face-to-face learning was effective. The perception of the effectiveness of online learning and face-to-face teaching for clinical skills was 18% and 89%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Few students perceived online teaching to be effective for developing social competencies (27%) compared to face-to-face instruction (67%) (p < 0.001). In addition, mean self-efficacy scores were higher for persons who perceived online teaching to be effective for increasing knowledge, improving clinical skills, and developing social competencies. Overall, students’ perception of online learning was strongly associated with online self-efficacy.Conclusion: Student satisfaction and perceived self-efficacy in online learning were higher than reported acceptance of online clerkship curriculum.Keywords: online learning, face-to-face learning, clinical knowledge and skills, online curriculum, social competencies, medical education

Introduction:Gynura procumbens is an important medicinal plant that contains different types of chemical constituents that show tremendous curative effects.

Unpolarized protons can generate transversely polarized quarks or linearly polarized gluons through a distribution known as the Boer-Mulders’ function. The fragmentation of similarly polarized partons to unpolarized hadrons is called the Collins’ function. Both of these functions include correlations between the spin or polarization and the relative transverse momentum of the incoming parton or outgoing hadron, with respect to the parent particle. We explore the effect of including these and other TMDs on the production of high-pT (unpolarized) hadron production from (unpolarized) proton-proton scattering. The resulting initial state anisotropies, modulated with similar final state effects, may account for the observed azimuthal anisotropy of the produced high transverse momentum hadrons, without modification to the angle integrated spectra (RAA). This may be an explanation for the existence of a v2 in high-pT hadron spectra in p-A collisions without any observable nuclear modification of the spectra.

Kandamaran Krishnamurthy,1 Natasha Sobers,2 Alok Kumar,1 Nkemcho Ojeh,1 Andrea Scott,3 Clyde Cave,3 Subir Gupta,1 Joanne Bradford-King,3 Bidyadhar Sa,4 Oswald Peter Adams,1 Michael H Campbell,1 Md Anwarul Azim Majumder1 1Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados; 2Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, Barbados; 3The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados; 4Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and TobagoCorrespondence: Md Anwarul Azim MajumderFaculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown, BarbadosEmail azim.majumder@cavehill.uwi.eduIntroduction: Due to increased exposure risk and the potential impact of COVID-19 infection, health care professionals (HCP) are a target group for COVID-19 vaccination. This study aimed to examine the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among HCP at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados.Design and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of HCP was conducted between February 14 and 27, 2021 using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic information, knowledge of novel coronavirus, intention to accept the COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine literacy (VL), and perceptions and attitudes regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Mean VL scores were calculated. The relationship between socio-demographic variables and vaccine intent was assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model.Results: Of 343 HCPs, 55.1% indicated they would accept the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available; 44.9% expressed hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. We assessed the impact of socio-demographic factors and previous vaccine behavior on vaccine intent; after adjustment of the multivariable logistic regression model, non-Barbadian nationality and previous flu vaccine uptake were statistically significant predictors of reported intent to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Persons who indicated that they would take the vaccine had a higher mean vaccine literacy score [3.46 95% CI (3.40, 3.52)] than those who were not ready to take the vaccine immediately [3.23 95% CI (3.15, 3.30)]. VL scores were higher among the 29.5% of HCPs who believed vaccines should be mandatory.Conclusion: This study highlighted vaccine hesitancy among HCPs in the sole public tertiary hospital of Barbados. As HCP perceptions may help or hinder the campaign to promote vaccine uptake in Barbados, vaccine promotion programs targeting HCPs are needed to ensure the success of the country’s COVID-19 vaccination drive.Keywords: vaccine intake, vaccine hesitancy, vaccine literacy, healthcare professionals, COVID-19, Barbados