Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Care Workers in Ghana

Abstract

Because health care workers are a reliable source of health information, their acceptance or rejection of COVID-19 vaccines can influence the general population's uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. In this study, we sought to determine the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among health care workers in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data from 234 health care workers through a self-administered online survey from 16 January to 15 February 2021. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed using STATA version 15. The findings revealed that 39.3% (n = 92) of health care workers intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Factors such as sex (AOR = 0.451; CI 95% 0.240–0.845; p = 0.013 ), category of health care workers (AOR = 2.851; 95 CI%: 1.097–7.405; p = 0.031 ), relative being diagnosed with COVID-19 (AOR = 0.369; CI 95% 0.145–0.941; p = 0.037 ), and trust in the accuracy of the measures taken by the government in the fight against COVID-19 (AOR = 2.768; CI 95%: 1.365–5.616; p = 0.005 ) proved to be significant predictors of the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. Concerns about the safety of vaccines (n = 93, 65.5%) and the adverse side effects of the vaccines (n = 23, 14.8%) were identified as the main reasons why health care workers would decline uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana. The self-reported low intention of health care workers in Ghana to accept COVID-19 vaccines necessitates an urgent call from the Government of Ghana and other stakeholders to address health care workers' concerns about the safety and adverse side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, as this would increase vaccine uptake. Interventions must also take into consideration sex and the category of health care workers to achieve the desired results.

Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines Among Physicians in Mid Delta Region of Egypt: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…signi cant difference among different age groups(Qattan et al 2021). The same ndings were reported by two similar studies conducted in Egypt and Ghana(Fares et al 202 ;Agyekum et al 2021). …”

“…However, in Ghana, Agyekum et al, found that39.3%of HCWs accepted to get the COVID-19 vaccines while more than half of them indicated non-acceptance (Agyekum et al 2021).…”

COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance and Its Associated Factors in Sodo Town, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study

“…Males are more likely than females to accept COVID-19 vaccines, according to other observational studies. 26,32,33 The educational level was also a significant factor in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Participants with a college diploma or higher were more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccine.…”

“…26,[32][33][34][35][36] In a report in Ghana, for example, insufficient evidence about the vaccine's safety and vaccine side effects were the key reasons for people refusing to accept COVID-19 vaccines. 26 The limitation of this study is that it is cross-sectional in nature, making it difficult to draw long-term conclusions. The results of this research were solely based on quantitative techniques, with no other tools such as focus group discussions or in-depth interviews being used to supplement the findings.…”

The acceptability and side effects of COVID-19 vaccine among health care workers in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

“…Hence there is a need to get the populace immunized. 3 Vaccination is an effective method of combating infectious diseases by training the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens, either viruses or bacteria. 4 Pharmaceutical companies and researchers around the world have collaborated to develop safe and effective vaccines.…”