Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
The African continent has some of the world's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. While the limited availability of vaccines is a contributing factor, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers (HCP) is another factor that could adversely affect efforts to control infections on the co...
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003956 |
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| author | Isabel Madzorera Livesy Naafoe Abokyi Edward Apraku Temesgen Azemraw Valentin Boudo Christabel James Dongqing Wang Frank Mapendo Ourohiré Millogo Nega Assefa Angela Chukwu Firehiwot Workneh Bruno Lankoande Elena C Hemler Abbas Ismail Sulemana Abubakari Kwaku Poku Asante Yemane Berhane Japhet Killewo Ayoade Oduola Ali Sie Abdramane Soura Mary Mwanyika-Sando Said Vuai Emily Smith Till Baernighausen Raji Tajudeen Wafaie W Fawzi |
| author_facet | Isabel Madzorera Livesy Naafoe Abokyi Edward Apraku Temesgen Azemraw Valentin Boudo Christabel James Dongqing Wang Frank Mapendo Ourohiré Millogo Nega Assefa Angela Chukwu Firehiwot Workneh Bruno Lankoande Elena C Hemler Abbas Ismail Sulemana Abubakari Kwaku Poku Asante Yemane Berhane Japhet Killewo Ayoade Oduola Ali Sie Abdramane Soura Mary Mwanyika-Sando Said Vuai Emily Smith Till Baernighausen Raji Tajudeen Wafaie W Fawzi |
| author_sort | Isabel Madzorera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The African continent has some of the world's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. While the limited availability of vaccines is a contributing factor, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers (HCP) is another factor that could adversely affect efforts to control infections on the continent. We sought to understand the extent of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCP, and its contributing factors in Africa. We evaluated COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among 1,499 HCP enrolled in a cross-sectional study conducted as a telephone survey in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ghana between July to December of 2021. We defined COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCP as self-reported responses of definitely not, maybe, unsure, or undecided on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to definitely getting the vaccine. We used log-binomial or modified Poisson regression models to evaluate factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among HCP. Approximately 65.6% of the HCP interviewed were nurses and the mean age (±SD) of participants was 35.8 (±9.7) years. At least 67% of the HCP reported being vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy affected 45.7% of the HCP in Burkina Faso, 25.7% in Tanzania, 9.8% in Ethiopia, 9% in Ghana and 8.1% in Nigeria. Among unvaccinated HCP reasons for low vaccine uptake included concern about vaccine effectiveness, side effects, and fear of receiving experimental and unsafe vaccines. HCP reporting that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective (RR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.55), and older HCP (45 or older vs.20-29 years, RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.95) were less likely to be vaccine-hesitant. Nurses were more likely to be vaccine-hesitant (RR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.89) than doctors. Information asymmetry among HCP, beliefs about vaccine effectiveness, and the endorsement of vaccines by public health institutions may be important. Efforts to address hesitancy should consider information and knowledge gaps among different cadres of HCP alongside efforts to increase vaccine supply. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c24adc8450804ef0b73d88f7d798fb77 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-c24adc8450804ef0b73d88f7d798fb772025-08-20T03:05:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0152e000395610.1371/journal.pgph.0003956Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa.Isabel MadzoreraLivesy Naafoe AbokyiEdward AprakuTemesgen AzemrawValentin BoudoChristabel JamesDongqing WangFrank MapendoOurohiré MillogoNega AssefaAngela ChukwuFirehiwot WorknehBruno LankoandeElena C HemlerAbbas IsmailSulemana AbubakariKwaku Poku AsanteYemane BerhaneJaphet KillewoAyoade OduolaAli SieAbdramane SouraMary Mwanyika-SandoSaid VuaiEmily SmithTill BaernighausenRaji TajudeenWafaie W FawziThe African continent has some of the world's lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates. While the limited availability of vaccines is a contributing factor, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers (HCP) is another factor that could adversely affect efforts to control infections on the continent. We sought to understand the extent of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCP, and its contributing factors in Africa. We evaluated COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among 1,499 HCP enrolled in a cross-sectional study conducted as a telephone survey in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ghana between July to December of 2021. We defined COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among HCP as self-reported responses of definitely not, maybe, unsure, or undecided on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to definitely getting the vaccine. We used log-binomial or modified Poisson regression models to evaluate factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among HCP. Approximately 65.6% of the HCP interviewed were nurses and the mean age (±SD) of participants was 35.8 (±9.7) years. At least 67% of the HCP reported being vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy affected 45.7% of the HCP in Burkina Faso, 25.7% in Tanzania, 9.8% in Ethiopia, 9% in Ghana and 8.1% in Nigeria. Among unvaccinated HCP reasons for low vaccine uptake included concern about vaccine effectiveness, side effects, and fear of receiving experimental and unsafe vaccines. HCP reporting that COVID-19 vaccines are very effective (RR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.55), and older HCP (45 or older vs.20-29 years, RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.95) were less likely to be vaccine-hesitant. Nurses were more likely to be vaccine-hesitant (RR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.89) than doctors. Information asymmetry among HCP, beliefs about vaccine effectiveness, and the endorsement of vaccines by public health institutions may be important. Efforts to address hesitancy should consider information and knowledge gaps among different cadres of HCP alongside efforts to increase vaccine supply.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003956 |
| spellingShingle | Isabel Madzorera Livesy Naafoe Abokyi Edward Apraku Temesgen Azemraw Valentin Boudo Christabel James Dongqing Wang Frank Mapendo Ourohiré Millogo Nega Assefa Angela Chukwu Firehiwot Workneh Bruno Lankoande Elena C Hemler Abbas Ismail Sulemana Abubakari Kwaku Poku Asante Yemane Berhane Japhet Killewo Ayoade Oduola Ali Sie Abdramane Soura Mary Mwanyika-Sando Said Vuai Emily Smith Till Baernighausen Raji Tajudeen Wafaie W Fawzi Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| title_full | Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| title_short | Perceptions and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| title_sort | perceptions and predictors of covid 19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare providers across five countries in sub saharan africa |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003956 |
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