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ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA, DECEMBER 17, 2020. A survey conducted by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa), in partnership with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), has shown that a predominant majority (79% average) of respondents in Africa would take a COVID-19 vaccine if it was deemed safe and effective.
Conducted between August and December 2020, the survey interviewed more than 15,000 adults, aged 18 and over, in 15 African countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco , Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda.
The survey data show significant variations in disposition between countries and in the five regions of the continent, from 94% and 93%, respectively, in Ethiopia and Niger, to 65% and 59%, respectively, in Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. .
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a global decline in the acceptability and acceptance of vaccines due to doubts about efficacy and safety and the spread of misinformation about vaccines. The pandemic has further exacerbated the controversies surrounding vaccines as a preventive measure against infectious diseases.
Therefore, the study was conducted to investigate public knowledge and perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccine, thus identifying gaps in knowledge, cultural beliefs, and attitudes to inform interventions for pre-deployment of vaccines. across the continent.
In general, the willingness, or not, to take a COVID-19 vaccine depended mainly on the confidence in the vaccines, as well as the perception of their importance, safety and efficacy. Safety was of the utmost importance; On average, 18% of those surveyed believe that vaccines are generally unsafe and 25% believe that a COVID-19 vaccine would not be safe. Some of the respondents expressed distrust of vaccines in general, while others expressed distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine specifically.
Respondents who are older, those who know someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and those who live in rural areas are more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than younger people, those who have not seen the COVID-19 affect anyone, and those who live in urban areas.
Rejection of a COVID-19 vaccine appears to be related to misinformation and misinformation, as most of those who said they would not take a vaccine believe that the disease is man-made, does not exist or is exaggerated and does not represent a problem serious. threat. Others think they are not at risk of being infected with the virus, while others believe that natural remedies and alternative medicines are safer than vaccines.
People who have had a positive COVID-19 test and are now well believe that they do not need a vaccine because they believe that they have become immune to the disease and can no longer be infected.
Respondents generally cited the World Health Organization (WHO), health professionals, governments, pharmaceutical companies, Gavi, and the African CDC as the reliable sources for approval in terms of safety and efficacy of a vaccine. COVID-19.
These findings highlight the critical need for strategic engagement at the community level to address long-term disapproval of vaccines and doubt to take a COVID-19 vaccine among some segments of the population. It highlights the need for constructive education and awareness to provide essential information that enables people to make informed decisions to accept a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Engaging with communities and responding to their concerns and information needs about the COVID-19 vaccine will be crucial to building trust not only around the COVID-19 vaccine, but also for vaccines in general,” says Professor Heidi Larson , co-leader of the study and Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
“This survey is an eye-opener that provides critical scientific evidence to guide interventions by Africa CDC, Member States, and partners for optimizing COVID-19 vaccine uptake across the continent,” says Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the CDC Africa.
About Africa CDC
Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capacity of Africa’s public health institutions, as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to threats and disease outbreaks, based on interventions and data-driven programs. Learn more at: http://www.africacdc.org.
About the Trust in Vaccines Project
The Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP) founded in 2010 by Professor Heidi Larson was developed in response to doubts and misinformation about vaccination programs, such as those that led to a boycott of polio eradication efforts in northern Nigeria. in 2003-04. It is an early warning system to identify and assess public confidence in vaccines, with the purpose of addressing the problem early, when it is likely to be manageable. The Vaccine Confidence project team is an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers with backgrounds in anthropology, digital analysis, epidemiology, politics, psychology, and more. Trust in vaccines is not a one-dimensional issue, so the VCP ™ cuts across disciplines to produce groundbreaking research and policy recommendations. For more information, click www.vaccineconfidence.org
Methodology Notes for Editors
The survey was conducted by ORB International during the months of August to December 2020. In each country, a nationally representative sample of adults over 18 years of age was interviewed. In four of the countries (Kenya, Tunisia, Morocco and Ethiopia) the interviews were conducted through computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI), while in the other 11 countries the interviews were conducted through computer assisted personal interviews ( CAPI). The statistical margin of error for each individual country with a 95% confidence level is + 3.1%. ORB International is a member of the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) and complies with its Code of Conduct.
