Covid-19 vaccine acceptance among health-care workers in a Nigerian population

Abstract

Several COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and approved at an unprecedented speed, while holding rigorous regulatory processes. However these vaccines cannot curb the epidemic without widespread acceptance. This study aims to assess the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers in a Nigerian population. A structured online English questionnaire created using Google forms was used in collecting data from 279 willing healthcare workers aged 18 years and above working and living within Ondo State. Their socio demographic information, perception/concern towards COVID-19 vaccination, risk assessment, exposure, contact and their willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was obtained. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, mean and standard deviation was done using SPSS version 21.0. Likelihood-ratio test leading to the derived chi-square and p-values was used to analyze the association between vaccine acceptance and participant characteristics, and Statistical significance was taken at p < 0.05. The mean age (SD) of the costrespondents was 37.53(9.8) years with an age range of 22-68 years. Majority were within the age group of 31-40years (107, 38.4%), females (160, 57.3%) and were married (210, 75.3%).Most respondents (178,63.8%) were willing to take the vaccine as soon as it becomes available, while a few (8, 2.9%)were not going to take the vaccine. More respondents expressed concern about the safety/adverse effect of COVID-19 vaccine (152, 54.5%), the effectiveness of the vaccine (135, 48.4%), and the rapidity of the development and approval of the vaccine(125, 44.8%)). Most of the participants believed that COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers should be voluntary (184, 65.9%). COVID-19 Vaccine acceptance is still suboptimal when compared to the rate needed to achieve herd immunity. More education on the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccine is still very necessary to further address the barrier limiting most heath care workers from taking the vaccine.