COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Content Analysis of Nigerian YouTube Videos

Abstract

Vaccination is key to developing herd immunity against COVID-19; however, the attitude of Nigerians towards being vaccinated stalled at the 70% vaccination target. This study engages Theory of Planned Behaviour to analyse the tone of Nigerian YouTube headlines/titles, and the tone of YouTube users’ comments to examine the causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. YouTube videos uploaded between March 2021 and December 2022 were analysed using a content analytic approach. Results show 53.5% of the videos had a positive tone, while 40.5% were negative, and 6% neutral. Second, findings indicate most of the Nigerian YouTube users’ comments were neutral (62.6%), while 32.4%, were negative, and 5% were positive. From the antivaccine themes, analysis shows the people’s lack of trust in the government on vaccines (15.7%) and the presence of vaccine conspiracy theories mostly related to expressions of religion and biotechnology (46.08%) were the main causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria. The study presents implications for theory and recommends ways for governments to develop better vaccination communication strategies.

Cognizance and mitigation of falsified immunization documentation: Analyzing the consequences for public health in Nigeria, with a focus on counterfeited COVID‐19 vaccination cards: A case report

“…Emergence of fake vaccination records further exacerbate these problems, and are the primary barriers to vaccination uptake in Nigeria 31 . When individuals discover the existence of fraudulent practices, it fuels their concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, 4 and undermines their confidence in the healthcare system, making them hesitant to seek immunization services or follow public health recommendations 32 . Vaccine hesitancy even among healthcare workers, contributes to low vaccine acceptance rates 33 .…”

“… 31 When individuals discover the existence of fraudulent practices, it fuels their concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, 4 and undermines their confidence in the healthcare system, making them hesitant to seek immunization services or follow public health recommendations. 32 Vaccine hesitancy even among healthcare workers, contributes to low vaccine acceptance rates. 33 Compromised records make it difficult to identify susceptible individuals and effectively plan immunization campaigns which can result in inefficient vaccine distribution, inadequate coverage, and increased disease transmission.…”