COVID-19 vaccine uptake and associated factors among adolescents and youths: Findings and implications for future vaccination programmes
Steward Mudenda,
Johanna C. Meyer,
Joseph O. Fadare
et al.
Abstract:Adolescents and youths are a key part of the population that needs to be protected against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is because they are more likely to spread the virus to vulnerable individuals. In view of these concerns, this study investigated the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and associated factors among adolescents and youths attending secondary schools in Zambia. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1500 school-going adolescents in Lusaka from September 2022 to November 2022. … Show more
“…This high prevalence is indicative of the success of vaccination campaigns and individuals' willingness to engage in public health interventions. The convergence of both quantitative and qualitative ndings reinforces this positive trend in vaccine uptake [20][21][22][23].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 62%
“…These ndings shed light on the role of socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, vaccine perception and acceptance, and health beliefs in shaping individuals' con dence in the vaccine. [20,22,24]. Age, education level, and employment status were signi cant factors associated with vaccine con dence.…”
Background
COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have reduced diseases severity and fatalities around the globe. Global data shows 67.7% of the general population are vaccinated, and Tanzania is reported to have over 70% coverage among individuals more than 18 years of age. However, group-specific assessment of the vaccination coverage is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, and cancer patients constitute a special priority group owing to the vulnerability attributable to this group.
Methods
A cross-sectional study design was conducted in September 2022 at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. A stratified sampling technique was used for quantitative data collection involving 479 cancer patients, and convenience sampling was applied for qualitative data collection involving 26 patients. Data were analysed using the statistical software ‘R’ by logistic regression analysis to determine association between socio-demographic, clinical and health belief model (HBM) variables against COVID-19 vaccine uptake among cancer patients.
Results
A total of 384 (80.2%) participants were female with a mean age (± standard deviation) of 48 ± 12.4 years; ranging from 18 to 83 years. Approximately 58.2% (278/479) of the participants reported to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and among them 79.5% were females. Having secondary school education or higher education (OR 2.26, CI 1.20–4.27 p = 0.011), perception on COVID-19 vaccine (OR 8.86, CI 2.84–32.2, p < 0.001) and perceived severity of COVID-19 (OR 0.56, CI 0.36–0.87, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with vaccine uptake. In the qualitative part, the findings suggest that individuals’ beliefs, perceptions, and external factors play a role in their decision to get vaccinated.
Conclusions
Approximately 6 out of 10 cancer patients at the ORCI reported to be vaccinated; with patients’ higher education status, perception on COVID-19 vaccine, and perceived severity being significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Public health interventions should leverage these identified factors to promote vaccine uptake through tailoring communication efforts to specific characteristics.
“…This high prevalence is indicative of the success of vaccination campaigns and individuals' willingness to engage in public health interventions. The convergence of both quantitative and qualitative ndings reinforces this positive trend in vaccine uptake [20][21][22][23].…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 62%
“…These ndings shed light on the role of socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, vaccine perception and acceptance, and health beliefs in shaping individuals' con dence in the vaccine. [20,22,24]. Age, education level, and employment status were signi cant factors associated with vaccine con dence.…”
Background
COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have reduced diseases severity and fatalities around the globe. Global data shows 67.7% of the general population are vaccinated, and Tanzania is reported to have over 70% coverage among individuals more than 18 years of age. However, group-specific assessment of the vaccination coverage is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, and cancer patients constitute a special priority group owing to the vulnerability attributable to this group.
Methods
A cross-sectional study design was conducted in September 2022 at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. A stratified sampling technique was used for quantitative data collection involving 479 cancer patients, and convenience sampling was applied for qualitative data collection involving 26 patients. Data were analysed using the statistical software ‘R’ by logistic regression analysis to determine association between socio-demographic, clinical and health belief model (HBM) variables against COVID-19 vaccine uptake among cancer patients.
Results
A total of 384 (80.2%) participants were female with a mean age (± standard deviation) of 48 ± 12.4 years; ranging from 18 to 83 years. Approximately 58.2% (278/479) of the participants reported to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and among them 79.5% were females. Having secondary school education or higher education (OR 2.26, CI 1.20–4.27 p = 0.011), perception on COVID-19 vaccine (OR 8.86, CI 2.84–32.2, p < 0.001) and perceived severity of COVID-19 (OR 0.56, CI 0.36–0.87, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with vaccine uptake. In the qualitative part, the findings suggest that individuals’ beliefs, perceptions, and external factors play a role in their decision to get vaccinated.
Conclusions
Approximately 6 out of 10 cancer patients at the ORCI reported to be vaccinated; with patients’ higher education status, perception on COVID-19 vaccine, and perceived severity being significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Public health interventions should leverage these identified factors to promote vaccine uptake through tailoring communication efforts to specific characteristics.
Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease of the respiratory tract caused by SARS-CoV-2. Since its emergence, there have been increased rates of transmission and spread, morbidity and mortality which led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines to address the pandemic. This study assessed acceptance, knowledge, attitude, and perceived risks regarding COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women attending antenatal care at two First-Level Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted among 241 pregnant women using a questionnaire from August 2023 to October 2023 in two First-Level Hospitals in Lusaka district, Zambia. The collected data were analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Statistical analysis was performed using a Chi-square test. The statistical significance was set at a 95% confidence level. Results: Of the 241 participants, 107 (42.7%) were aged between 24 and 34 years. Overall, 64.3% accepted the COVID-19 vaccines, of which 122 (50.6%) were already vaccinated. Further, 203 (84.6%) of the pregnant women had good knowledge, and 199 (82.6%) had positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines. However, 58.5% thought COVID-19 vaccines were not safe and could cause infertility. Alongside this, 70.1% thought that COVID-19 vaccines were harmful during pregnancy. Having good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines was associated with age (p = 0.049), education status (p = 0.001), and employment status (p = 0.001
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