The impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Background Vaccination remains the most powerful weapon against the emergence of new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19). However, false information about COVID-19 vaccines through various platforms including social media remains a major threat to global public health. This study examined the impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods A validated web-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 14 March to 16 May 2021, and was administered in both French and English to 2572 participants aged 18 years and over. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical and vaccination history, and the information sources (mainstream media and social media) used by the participants during the pandemic were obtained. There were three main outcomes: The vaccinated group were those who responded in the affirmation (Yes) to the question of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who responded ‘not sure’ or ‘no’ to the question were then asked if they were willing to be vaccinated when the vaccine became available in their home countries. The responses to this follow-up question were used to derive the second and third outcome variables of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ and ‘vaccine resistance’, respectively. A series of logistic regression analyses were used to examine the impact of information sources on the three main outcomes. Results The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among the participants was lowest among newspaper readers (42%) and highest among TV (72%) and social media users (73%). The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine-resistance was also lowest among newspaper readers (37%) but highest among social media users (87%). Multivariate analyses revealed that compared to those who did not use these information sources, SSA participants who relied on the radio (aOR 0.83, 95%CI = 0.70, 0.99), TV (aOR 0.80, 95%CI = 0.65, 0.97) and social media (aOR 0.79, 95%CI = 0.65, 0.97) for information during the pandemic were less likely to be hesitant towards taking the vaccines. However, social media users (aOR 2.13, 95%CI = 1.62, 2.80), those who watched TV (aOR 1.40, 95%CI =1.08, 1.80), relied on healthcare workers (HCWs: aOR 1.32, 95%CI = 1.07, 1.63) and families/friends (aOR 1.31, 95%CI = 1.06, 1.61) for COVID-19 related information during the pandemic were more likely to resist taking the COVID vaccines in this study. Participants who relied on the newspaper for information during the pandemic were less likely to resist the vaccines (aOR 0.77, 95%CI = 0.62, 0.95) compared to non-readers of a newspaper. Conclusion We found that all six information sources except radio were strong predictors of the resistance towards COVID-19 vaccination. Further research on how these channels can be used to improve the availability of reliable healthcare information is needed. Investments in these resources will protect people and empower them to make appropriate choices about their health.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitance Among Adolescents and Youths in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Similarly, to our ndings, Faye indicates that the perceived effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines increased the willingness to get vaccinated. Different sources of information had an in uence on increasing vaccine hesitance similar to the ndings of Osuagwu et al, [53], who found that all six information sources such as social media, television, health workers, family, and friends were strongly associated with vaccine hesitance in sub-Saharan African countries, except radio was not a strong predictor. The ndings are also similar to those of Ganem et al, [54] in the USA who found that the key reason to not vaccinate themselves, or their children, were concern about side effects, insu cient research about the effect of the vaccine in children, the rapid development of vaccines, the necessity for more information and previous infection by COVID-19.…”

Acceptance and Risk Perception of COVID-19 Vaccination among Pregnant and Non Pregnant Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Matched-Sample Study

“…A recent study [ 34 ] that evaluated the functioning of the health system in SSA, including challenges and responses, identified the poor structure of health systems and a dearth of essential health services as major setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. These weaknesses, coupled with the unmet demands arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, may have contributed to the mistrust of pregnant women towards the health care system.…”

“…However, there are some limitations to this study, including the convenient sampling of online users and women in rural areas with limited internet access, which limits the generalizability of our findings beyond the study sample. This is important, considering that online users were more likely to believe the common myths about the COVID-19 vaccine that could potentially reduce vaccine uptake among women [ 34 ]. In addition, key indicators such as the postpartum period and parity were not investigated because the study was not specifically designed for pregnant and postnatal women.…”

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and related behavioral and psychological characteristics in individuals with mental disorders in Korea

“…It is not clear whether individuals with greater vaccine acceptance are more likely to trust formal sources of information or vice versa. Additionally, vaccine acceptance in individuals with mental disorders may be influenced by the types of sources they have access to ( 47 ). Those who had more access to formal information or less access to informal information may have been more willing to get vaccinated ( 48 ).…”