Abstract:
Introduction: COVID-19 vaccine uptake and acceptance have been a major
global concern due to the prevalent misinformation and disinformation that
has characterized the vaccine rollout worldwide. This study aimed to assess
COVID-19 vaccine uptake and acceptance, and associated factors among selected
community members in two states in southwestern Nigeria. Method:
We conducted a cross-sectional study using a multistage sampling technique.
Fifty catchment settlements of 10 health facilities in each of Oyo and Ogun
States targeted for a COVID-19 infection prevention and control intervention
were randomly selected. Four households were targeted per settlement. All
households that refused access were replaced, to ensure a minimum of four
households randomly selected per settlement. The primary household decision-
maker was interviewed in each household. Information elicited included
respondents’ sociodemographic characteristics, health history, knowledge,
risk and benefit perception about the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine uptake, and
willingness to be vaccinated. The study was conducted from July–August
2021. Data were analyzed using SPSS IBM version 23. Result: Four hundred
household decision-makers were surveyed in Oyo and Ogun states, after replacement.
The mean age of the respondents was 43.0 ± 11.0 years. The majority,
346 (86.5%) had heard about COVID-19 vaccination, but only 47
(13.6%) had received a COVID-19 vaccination. Of the 299 respondents who
reported not receiving a COVID-19 vaccination, 166 (55.5%) were willing to
be vaccinated. In univariate analysis, respondents who were female had tertiary
education, perceived that COVID-19 vaccines are free and accessible,
perceived that COVID-19 vaccines have minimal side effects, and perceivedhigher benefits of COVID-19 vaccination had higher odds of being vaccinated.
In contrast, younger respondents, respondents with higher knowledge
scores on COVID-19 preventive measures, and with chronic illness had lower
likelihoods of being vaccinated. In multivariate analysis, only the respondent’s
age, perception score on COVID-19 vaccine benefits, knowledge score
on IPC measures, and positive response on accessibility and safety were significant
after adjusting for other factors. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine
uptake rate as well as willingness to receive vaccination were low in the study
setting. There is an urgent need for policymakers to embark on well-designed
campaigns to address barriers to COVID-19 vaccination to increase vaccine
uptake.
