Willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine: A survey among medical radiation workers in Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: Coronavirus disease, also known as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is a deadly infection that has contributed to global morbidity and mortality in recent years. Different brands of COVID-19 vaccines have been manufactured toward containing the pandemic. Unfortunately, poor uptake of these vaccines in developing countries has contributed to suboptimal containment of the pandemic. There is a need for a better understanding of the level of willingness, as a key determinant of vaccine uptake, especially among populations at higher risk of exposure to the virus. The main objective of this research is to assess the willingness of medical radiation workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Material and Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study that utilized a non-probability snowball sampling technique. The study was done within 1 month and 50 responses from medical radiation workers within Nigeria were obtained. A structured and validated questionnaire was administered online using Google Forms for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0. Results: Only 45.45% of the medical radiation workers were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The factors that were associated with the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine included older age (P = 0.016) and longer duration of service (P = 0.021), where it was observed that medical radiation workers who were 50 years and above and had offered >10 years in service were more willing to receive the vaccine. Conclusion: The willingness of medical radiation workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccines was poor for health workers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to redouble educational and other interventional efforts, aimed at improving vaccine uptake, perhaps with much focus on younger radiation medical workers.