Prevalence, Knowledge, and Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Medical and Allied Health Sciences Students in Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto https://doi.org/10.60787/NMJ-64-1-274

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination uptake among the study subjects, their knowledge about the disease, the acceptability or hesitancy about the vaccine, and reasons, if any, for the vaccine’s hesitancy.

Methodology: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 410 medical and allied health sciences students. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire administered in the “Ona Kobo Collect” electronic form was used for data collection, and subsequently analysed.

Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination (4%) among the study subjects was very low. The level of knowledge about COVID-19 was good at over 80% of respondents (between 80.7%-97.1%) in various aspects of knowledge that were examined. Acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine was 57% with disapproval and indifference in 23% and 20% of the respondents, respectively. One in every 5 of the respondents was not vaccinated because 24.1% don’t know where to receive the vaccine, 21.5% has hesitation about the vaccine, 18% believe that COVID-19 is exaggerated, and 16.3% didn’t believe in the necessity of the vaccine. The reasons for hesitation against the vaccine were due to lack of trust in the vaccine’s safety, distrust in the government, and lack of trust in the vaccine’s efficacy in 30%, 20.5%, and 18.8% respectively. About one-third (32.4%) of respondents believe in conspiracy theories regarding the vaccine.

Conclusion: The study found a very low prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination among the study subjects, with high proportions of the subjects knowledgeable about the cause, transmission, clinical features, and preventive measures against COVID-19. The proportions of acceptance and non-acceptance of the vaccine were almost 50-50% and, the main reasons for the vaccine’s hesitancy are lack of trust in the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.