Rollout Of Covid-19 Vaccine: Perception And Acceptability Of Vaccine Safety Among Health Workers And Community Members In Ho Municipality, Volta Region Of Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: In March 2020, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. Several COVID-19 prophylactic vaccinations have been developed and deployed, but little is known about people's perceptions of safety, efficacy, and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines or the factors that influence their acceptance. Assessing community and health worker acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine would aid researchers and policymakers in developing appropriate strategies to enhance vaccine uptake among health workers and the general population. Objective: To determine the perceptions and factors associated with acceptability of Covid-19 vaccine among health workers and community members in Ho Municipality. Methods: A mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) approach was used in a cross-sectional analytic study design. The research was conducted in Ho municipality among health staff and community members. Twelve (12) in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health workers were conducted to learn about their perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine and the factors that influence its acceptability, while a questionnaire was used to collect data from 403 adult community members aged 18 and above in the Ho municipality on their perceptions and acceptability of the vaccine. For quantitative analysis, STATA analytical software version 16 was employed, while for qualitative analysis, Nvivo was used. Bivariate analyses were carried out using logistic regression on factors that were statistically significant with the willingness of respondents to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Results: If a COVID-19 vaccine were made accessible in the municipality, five out of ten people were ready to accept it. Significant factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptability include sex (χ2=9.643; p=0.002), age (χ2=10.956; p=0.012), and educational level (χ2=47.331; p=0.001) for health workers, most of them had already received the vaccine but were in doubt about its safety and efficacy.

Conclusion: Addressing sociodemographic variables of COVID-19 vaccination uptake may aid in achieving herd immunity by increasing vaccination uptake. To enhance the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the municipality, targeted health education activities are required.