Examining Vaccine Hesitancy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Survey of the Knowledge and Attitudes among Adults to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines in Ghana

The impact of COVID-19 vaccination programmes on disease transmission, morbidity and mortality relies heavily on the population’s willingness to accept the vaccine. We explore Ghanaian adult citizens’ vaccine hesitancy attitudes and identify the likelihood of participation or non-participation in the government’s effort to get citizens vaccinated. A fully anonymised cross-sectional online survey of 2345 adult Ghanaians was conducted from 23 to 28 February 2021. Differences in intentions regarding COVID-19 vaccination were explored using Pearson Chi-square tests. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with willingness to receive vaccines. Responses were weighted using the iterative proportional fitting technique to generate a representative sample. About half (51%) of mostly urban adult Ghanaians over 15 years are likely to take the COVID-19 vaccine if made generally available. Almost a fifth (21%) of the respondents were unlikely to take the vaccine, while another 28% were undecided. Additionally, we find differences in vaccine hesitancy among some socio-demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and primary sources of information. Attaining the proverbial 63% to 70% herd immunity threshold in Ghana is only possible if the preventive vaccination programmes are combined with an enhanced and coordinated public education campaign. Such a campaign should focus on promoting the individual and population-level benefits of vaccination and pre-emptive efforts towards addressing misinformation about vaccines.

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Attitudes and Intentions toward COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Professions Students and Faculty in Qatar

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9111275 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1275

Author(s):

Amine Zaidi ◽

Amal Elmasaad ◽

Hend Alobaidli ◽

Rana Sayed ◽

Dana Al-Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Health Professions ◽

Vaccine Safety ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Natural Immunity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact ◽

To Receive

A population’s desire to take the COVID-19 vaccine is an important predictor of a country’s future pandemic management. This cross-sectional study examines the impact of psychological and sociodemographic factors on attitudes toward and intentions to take the COVID-19 vaccine among students and faculty at four colleges of health professions and sciences at Qatar University. The data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms. The survey was distributed through various online platforms. Data analysis was conducted using Stata 16. Of the 364 participants, 9.89% expressed a high mistrust of vaccine safety, and 21.7% were uncertain about their levels of trust; 28% expressed strong worries about unforeseen side effects, whereas 54.95% expressed moderate worries. Furthermore, 7.69% expressed strong concerns and 39.84% showed moderate concerns about commercial profiteering. Approximately 13% of the participants expressed a strong preference towards natural immunity, whilst 45.33% appeared to believe that natural immunity might be better than a vaccine. Importantly, 68.13% of the participants intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it became available, compared to 17.03% who were uncertain and 14.83% who were unwilling to be vaccinated. Our findings differ from the data on vaccine hesitancy among the general population of Qatar. We argue that this gap is due to scientific knowledge and domain of education. Furthermore, although knowledge and awareness may affect vaccine attitudes, mental health and sociodemographic factors play a role in shaping attitudes towards vaccines.

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Willingness to Receive the COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Vaccines among the Saudi Population and Vaccine Uptake During the Initial Stage of the National Vaccination Campaign: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9070765 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 765

Author(s):

Amel Ahmed Fayed ◽

Abeer Salem Al Shahrani ◽

Leenah Tawfiq Almanea ◽

Nardeen Ibrahim Alsweed ◽

Layla Mohammed Almarzoug ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Online Survey ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Influenza Vaccines ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

To Receive

This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.

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Adenovirus and RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ perceptions and acceptance among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia: a national survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048586 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e048586

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Mazin Barry ◽

Fadi Aljamaan ◽

Abdullah Alhuzaimi ◽

Ayman Al-Eyadhy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Vectored Vaccine ◽

To Receive

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the perception, confidence, hesitancy and acceptance rate of various COVID-19 vaccine types among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia, a nation with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus experience.DesignNational cross-sectional, pilot-validated questionnaire.SettingOnline, self-administered questionnaire among HCWs.ParticipantsA total of 2007 HCWs working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated; 1512 (75.3%) participants completed the survey and were included in the analysis.InterventionData were collected through an online survey sent to HCWs during 1–15 November 2020. The main outcome measure was HCW acceptance of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. The associated factors of vaccination acceptance were identified through a logistic regression analysis and via measurement of the level of anxiety, using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scale.ResultsAmong the 1512 HCWs who were included, 62.4% were women, 70.3% were between 21 and 40 years of age, and the majority (62.2%) were from tertiary hospitals. In addition, 59.5% reported knowing about at least one vaccine; 24.4% of the participants were sure about their willingness to receive the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, and 20.9% were willing to receive the RNA BNT162b2 vaccine. However, 18.3% reported that they would refuse to receive the Ad5-vectored vaccine, and 17.9% would refuse the Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine. Factors that influenced the differential readiness of HCWs included their perceptions of the vaccine’s efficiency in preventing the infection (33%), their personal preferences (29%) and the vaccine’s manufacturing country (28.6%).ConclusionsAwareness by HCWs of the several COVID-19 candidate vaccines could improve their perceptions and acceptance of vaccination. Reliable sources on vaccine efficiency could improve vaccine uptake, so healthcare authorities should use reliable information to decrease vaccine hesitancy among frontline healthcare providers.

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Parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for children: vulnerability in an urban hotspot

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11725-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nina L. Alfieri ◽

Jennifer D. Kusma ◽

Nia Heard-Garris ◽

Matthew M. Davis ◽

Emily Golbeck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care Providers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cook County ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Care Providers ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Demographic Groups ◽

Publicly Insured

Abstract Objective To compare hesitancy toward a future COVID-19 vaccine for children of various sociodemographic groups in a major metropolitan area, and to understand how parents obtain information about COVID-19. Methods Cross-sectional online survey of parents with children < 18 years old in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, in June 2020. We used logistic regression to determine the odds of parental COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) for racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups, controlling for sociodemographic factors and the sources where parents obtain information regarding COVID-19. Results Surveys were received from 1702 parents and 1425 were included in analyses. Overall, 33% of parents reported VH for their child. COVID-19 VH was higher among non-Hispanic Black parents compared with non-Hispanic White parents (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.65, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): (1.99–3.53), parents of publicly insured children compared with privately insured (OR 1.93, (1.53–2.42)) and among lower income groups. Parents receive information about COVID-19 from a variety of sources, and those who report using family, internet and health care providers as information sources (compared to those who don’t use each respective source) had lower odds of COVID-19 VH for their children. Conclusions The highest rates of hesitancy toward a future COVID-19 vaccine were found in demographic groups that have been the most severely affected by the pandemic. These groups may require targeted outreach efforts from trusted sources of information in order to promote equitable uptake of a future COVID-19 vaccine.

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Estimating vaccine confidence levels among future healthcare workers and their trainers: A quantitative study protocol

10.1101/2021.02.03.21251068 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth O. Oduwole ◽

Hassan Mahomed ◽

Birhanu T. Ayele ◽

Charles S. Wiysonge

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

P Value ◽

List Type ◽

Confidence Levels ◽

Vaccine Confidence ◽

To Receive

ABSTRACTIntroductionThe outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caught the world off guard in the first quarter of the year 2020. To stem the tide of this pandemic, the development, testing, and pre-licensure approval for emergency use of some COVID 19 vaccine candidates were accelerated. This led to raised public concern about their safety and efficacy, compounding the challenges of vaccine hesitancy which was already declared one of the top ten threats to global health in the year 2019. The onus of managing and administering these vaccines to a skeptical populace when they do become available rests mostly on the shoulders of healthcare workers (HCWs). Therefore, the vaccine confidence levels of HCWs becomes critical to the success of vaccination endeavors, especially COVID 19 vaccination. This proposed study aims to estimate the level of vaccine confidence and the intention to receive a COVID 19 vaccine among future HCWs and their trainers at a specific university in Cape Town, South Africa, and to identify any vaccination concerns early for targeted intervention.Methods and analysisAn online survey will be distributed to current staff and students of an academic institution for HCWs. The survey questionnaire will consist of a demographic questions section consisting of six items and a vaccine confidence section comprising six items in Likert scale format.A multinomial logistic regression model will be employed to identify factors associated with vaccine confidence and intention. The strength of association will be assessed using odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval. Statistical significance will be defined at a p-value <0.05.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained for the study from Stellenbosch University (HREC Reference # S19/01/014 (PhD)). The results will be shared with relevant health authorities, presented at conferences, and published in a peer-reviewed journal.ARTICLE SUMMARYStrengths and limitations of this study▸The proposed study will generate baseline knowledge of the vaccine confidence among future healthcare workers and their trainers in its specific context.▸It will contribute to addressing the knowledge gap about the intention to receive a COVID 19 vaccine among health care workers in Africa.▸It will enable the early identification of vaccine concerns of healthcare workers while they are still in training and assist in informing tailored measures to address them.▸A limitation of the study is the possibility of a low response rate which is an inherent challenge of online surveys.

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THE AWARENESS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS VACCINATION IN MAKKAH REGION, SAUDI ARABIA, 2019

International Journal of Advanced Research ◽

10.21474/ijar01/11882 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 597-602

Author(s):

Ayman Bakr ◽

◽

Sarah Alhamyani ◽

Raghad Alqurashi ◽

Amal Alnemari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Parental Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

P Value ◽

Attitude Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Knowledge And Attitude ◽

The Impact

In the last few years there have been a lot of argument and false accusations about vaccination, resulting in decrease the rate of vaccines uptake. Researches has shown that parents vaccines compliance are highly influence by many factors. This study aims to understand the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy and if the parents believe in the existence of the preventable diseases by vaccination? In this context, vaccine hesitancy defined as delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccinations. This was a cross- sectional study conducted across Makkah, Jeddah, and Taif city. An online survey was distributed in period between 1 September – 1 November targeting Saudi parents of all children under the age of 12 randomly. The survey included demographics data, parental knowledge and attitude, vaccine hesitancy prevalence. The sample size was 384. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the association between knowledge and awareness to vaccines uptake. Analysis of the responses demonstrate that 93.6% of the sample study favor of vaccines, 6.1% of the sample study not favor of vaccines because they dont have adequate knowledge on vaccines, 2.5% of them think that vaccines are not important, 3.8% of them think that vaccines can cause harmful effects over its benefits, 1.5% of them have previous bad experience regarding vaccination. We found significant relation between knowledge and attitude score to the education level with level of significance 95% (p-value <0.05).Risingthe society education can help in minimizing the impact of vaccine hesitancy problem.

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Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Egyptian healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06392-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rehab H. El-Sokkary ◽

Omnia S. El Seifi ◽

Hebatallah M. Hassan ◽

Eman M. Mortada ◽

Maiada K. Hashem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Work Experience ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Initial Step ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

To Receive

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has raised concerns about vaccine hesitancy in general and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in particular. Understanding the factors driving the uncertainty regarding vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial. Methods This cross-sectional study was designed to identify the perceptions and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards COVID-19 vaccines and determine the predictive factors that affect their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. An online survey was distributed among HCWs to collect data assessing demographic and general characteristics of the participants and vaccine-related characteristics, including source of information about the vaccine. In addition to items assessing the perception of COVID-19, there were items on COVID-19 vaccines and attitude towards vaccination in general and towards COVID-19 vaccines in particular. Results The participants were classified according to their willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: hesitant (41.9%), refusing (32.1%), and willing (26%). Statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups for the perception of COVID-19 vaccines, attitude towards vaccination in general, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular (p < 0.01). Conclusions Although the participants adequately perceived COVID-19 severity, prevention, and COVID-19 vaccine safety, they were widely hesitant or refused to be vaccinated. A multidimensional approach is required to increase the vaccine acceptability rate. Higher income and increased years of work experience are positive predictors of willingness to receive a vaccine. Thus, further studies addressing the scope of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are warranted as an initial step to build trust in COVID-19 vaccination efforts with continuous monitoring of attitudes and practices of HCWs towards COVID-19 vaccines in the future.

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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the UK: A longitudinal household cross-sectional study

10.1101/2021.07.09.21260206 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kausik Chaudhuri ◽

Anindita Chakrabarti ◽

Joht Singh Chandan ◽

Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Public Sector ◽

Disease Transmission ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Great Promise ◽

Public Health Action ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Government ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

Background: The global morbidity and mortality burden of COVID19 has been substantial, often widening preexisting inequalities. The approved COVID19 vaccines have shown great promise in reducing disease transmission and severity of outcomes. However, the success of the COVID19 vaccine rollout is dependent on public acceptance and willingness to be vaccinated. In this study, we aim to examine how the attitude towards public sector officials and the government impact vaccine willingness with a secondary aim to understand the impact of ethnicity on this relationship. Methods: This crosssectional study used data from a UK population based longitudinal household survey (Understanding Society COVID19 study, Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study) between April 2020 to January 2021. Data from 22421 participants in Waves 6 and 7 of the study were included after excluding missing data. Demographic details in addition to previous survey responses relating to public sector/governmental trust were included in as covariates in the main analyses. A logit model was produced to describe the association between public sector/governmental mistrust and the willingness for vaccination with interaction terms included to account for ethnicity/socioeconomic status. Findings: In support of existing literature, we identified those from BAME groups were more likely to be unwilling to take the COVID19 vaccine. We found that positive opinions towards public sector officials (OR 2.680: 95% CI 1.888 3.805) and the UK government (OR 3.400; 95% CI 2.454 4.712) led to substantive increase in vaccine willingness. Most notably we identified this effect to be vary across ethnicity and socioeconomic status with those from South Asian background (OR 4.513; 95% CI 1.012 20.123) the most unwilling to be vaccinated when their trust in public sector officials were affected. Interpretation: These findings suggests that trust in public sector officials may play a key factor in the low vaccination rates particularly seen in at risk groups. Given the additional morbidity/mortality risk posed by COVID19 to those from lower socioeconomic or ethnic minority backgrounds, there needs to be urgent public health action to review how to tailor health promotion advice given to these groups and examine methods to improve trust in public sector officials and the Government. Funding: No funding

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Acceptability of the COVID-19 Vaccine and Its Determinants among University Students in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9090943 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 943

Author(s):

Mohammed J. Almalki ◽

Amani A. Alotaibi ◽

Salman H. Alabdali ◽

Ayman A. Zaalah ◽

Mohsen W. Maghfuri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

University Students ◽

Online Survey ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Final Sample ◽

To Receive

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a significant threat to the efforts that have been taken to combat the pandemic. This study assessed the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among university students in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey using a Google Form was conducted between 2 April and 23 April 2021. A snowball technique was used to recruit participants for this study. The final sample consisted of 407 participants. More than one-third of the participants (36.1%) had received the COVID-19 vaccine, and 13.3% had registered to receive the vaccine. Of the participants who were not yet vaccinated (n = 260), 90.4% indicated that they would like to be vaccinated when given the opportunity. Of the unvaccinated participants, 82.3% trusted the COVID-19 vaccines that had been provided in Saudi Arabia. The most reported reasons for the participants’ acceptance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine included preventive purposes (95.8%), a belief in the safety of the vaccines (84.3%), and the availability of public awareness information regarding the vaccines (77.3%). A small portion of participants (6.1%) were refusing to receive the vaccine due to the potential long-term side effects (92.0%) and expedited vaccine trials (80.0%). Acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine was strongly associated with participants who regularly received the flu vaccine (p < 0.05). All other demographic variables were not statistically associated with the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. In conclusion, it would be appropriate for universities to launch peer programs to urge reluctant students to receive the vaccine voluntarily. In terms of further research, it is valuable to follow up with unvaccinated participants to investigate if they received the vaccine since the data were collected, and their reasons for doing so. This research would reveal changes toward vaccine acceptability over time and any related determinants. Future research should consider students from non-Arabic speaking backgrounds.

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Exploring the impact of gender on challenges and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy ◽

10.1108/ijssp-08-2021-0202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Kathryn Krase ◽

Leina Luzuriaga ◽

Donna Wang ◽

Andrew Schoolnik ◽

Chantee Parris-Strigle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

National Level ◽

Past Research ◽

Future Research ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

The Usa ◽

And Coping ◽

The Impact

PurposeRepercussions to everyday life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted certain segments of the population, including older adults, communities of color and women. The societal response to reduce the impact of the pandemic, including closing schools and working from home, has been experienced differentially by women. This study explored how individual challenges and coping mechanisms differed for women as compared to men.Design/methodology/approachThis study used an anonymous, cross-sectional, online survey early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Convenience, snowball and purposive sampling methods were used. Data were collected in June 2020 targeting adults living in Canada and the USA, with a total of 1,405 people responding, of which, the respondents were primarily women, White and with high education levels.FindingsThe results of this study confirm previous research that women struggled more to adapt to the pandemic and felt less prepared than men during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this study found significant differences in the sources of information and support used by women as compared to men.Originality/valueThe findings of this study not only confirm past research but also highlight that practice and policy responses to this pandemic, and future research on national level crises need to be targeted by gender, so that different needs are effectively addressed. Additionally, this article also identifies sources or challenges, as well as support, in order to inform and strengthen such responses.

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