Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Kakau ward of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State

Abstract

Despite global efforts to end the covid-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy remains a public health issue.  Only 9.1% of Nigerians have  received at least one dose of the vaccine. This study was carried out to  determine the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and the factors  which affect it. This was a crosssectional study carried out among 348 residents of a community in Kakau ward in Kaduna state.  Respondents were selected via a multi-stage sampling technique. Data was collected with an  interviewer-administered questionnaire.  Analysis was done with IBM SPSS Statistics version 23 and  results were presented in frequency tables. Appropriate tests of association  were done, and the level of  statistical significance was set at 0.05. Only 96(27.6%) of the respondents know that the COVID-19  vaccine is  not used to treat the infection. Majority 239(68.7%) do not trust the pharmaceutical  companies while only 128(36.7%) of the respondents  perceive themselves as being at risk for the  disease. Sixty-five of the respondents (18.7%) have taken the vaccine. The prevalence of  vaccine  hesitancy was 273(78.5%). There is a statistically significant relationship between age and knowledge  of Covid-19 infection and  the of vaccine with vaccine hesitancy p<0.0001. The prevalence of COVID- 19 vaccine hesitancy was high among these respondents, and  factors associated with it were age, sex,  educational level, knowledge, and perception. To address this issue, public health authorities  need to  target social drivers and improve trust for the vaccine among the populace.