TITLE:
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers at a Teaching Hospital in Zambia: Findings and Implications
AUTHORS:
Steward Mudenda, Banji Moonga, Maisa Kasanga, Victor Daka, Ngoni Veddie Muzondo, Ruth Lindizyani Mfune, Shafiq Mohamed, Nathan Mugenyi, Manal Hadi Ghaffoori Kanaan, Billy Chabalenge
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19, Healthcare Workers, Vaccination, Vaccine Hesitancy, Vaccine Uptake, Zambia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
26,
2024
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines provided renewed hope in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. To promote extensive vaccination coverage, it is imperative to assess the inclination towards receiving vaccines and examine the influencing factors among healthcare workers (HCWs). This study evaluated COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among HCWs at a Teaching Hospital in Zambia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 HCWs at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia from August 2022 to October 2022 using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 23.0. Statistical significance was determined at a 95% confidence level. Results: A total of 200 participants were enrolled in the study of which 71.5% (n = 143) were female and 57% (n = 114) were aged between 20 and 30 years. The overall vaccine acceptance was 73% and was higher among medical doctors and nurses than pharmacists. Of the 146 HCWs that had been vaccinated, 69.2% had received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy was due to the fear of side effects, concerns about vaccine effectiveness, and rushed development of the COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine acceptance was influenced by age (p = 0.037), profession (p = 0.001) and providing direct care to COVID-19 patients (p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study found a high acceptance and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines among frontline HCWs, especially among medical doctors and nurses which is key due to their clinical role of providing direct care to COVID-19 patients. There is a need to address the factors that cause vaccine hesitancy among some HCWs.