COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among students at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for an effective vaccine to combat the spread  of the virus. However, less  attention has been paid to vaccine hesitancy and acceptance, particularly among healthcare students in Africa. The study aimed to  assess vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among clinical year  students of a novel COVID-19 vaccine in Sierra Leone.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey among 250 healthcare students at the University of  Sierra Leone. Descriptive  statistics and chi-square test were applied to analyse data.

Results: Our findings showed that 46 (18.4%) of the medical students and 6(2.4%) of pharmacy students  doubted the COVID-19 vaccine's  safety. 34(13.6%) of medical students questioned the effectiveness of the  vaccine, while 25 (10%) of medical students, 53  (21.2%) of nursing students, and 4 (1.6%) of pharmacy  students feared the side effects that were still unknown. 28 (11.2%) of the medical  students, 7 (2.8%) of  nursing students, and 21 (8.4%) of pharmacy students feared that some types of vaccine would have adverse  effects on their health.

Discussion: The study found that a significant proportion of medical and pharmacy students expressed doubts  about the safety, effectiveness, and side effects of the vaccine. A small proportion of the students also feared  adverse effects of certain  types of vaccines on their health. These findings suggest that there is a need for  targeted education and communication campaigns to  address the reasons for vaccine hesitancy among  healthcare students