Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccine in Africa

Frankline Sevidzem Wirsiy; Claude Ngwayu Nkfusai; Denis Ebot Ako-Arrey; Esther Kenfack Dongmo; Florence Titu Manjong; Samuel Nambile Cumber

doi:10.21106/ijma.482

Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccine in Africa

Int J MCH AIDS. 2021;10(1):134-138. doi: 10.21106/ijma.482. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Authors

Frankline Sevidzem Wirsiy^{1

2

3}, Claude Ngwayu Nkfusai⁴, Denis Ebot Ako-Arrey⁵, Esther Kenfack Dongmo^{2

6}, Florence Titu Manjong^{4

7}, Samuel Nambile Cumber^{8

9

10}

Affiliations

¹ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Operational Centre Brussels (OCB); 11 Avenue MASSAMBA; P.O. Box: 15699-Kin 1; Kinshasa; Democratic Republic of Congo.
² Department of Public Health and Hygiene, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
³ Cameroon Society of Epidemiology (CaSE), Yaoundé, Cameroon.
⁴ Department of Public Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
⁵ IntraHealth Uganda, Plot 20B Kawalya Kaggwa Close, Kololo, P.O. Box 71050, Kampala, Uganda.
⁶ Prossaba Medical Center; Bafoussam; Cameroon.
⁷ Saint Louis University Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Douala, Cameroon.
⁸ Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
⁹ School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
¹⁰ Institute of Health and Caring Sciences; The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

As Africa prepares to overcome the difficult challenges of COVID-19 vaccination roll-outs, a number of factors, including equitable access, effective and efficient sufficient supply chains, a scope of established determinants will need to be considered in order to enhance vaccine acceptability and uptake. In this commentary, we present six major determinants of vaccine acceptability and uptake in Africa. We summarize these determinants with the acronym VAMRIS: V= Vaccine hesitancy; A= Attitude and uptake by health care workers; M= Misinformation; R= Religion; I= Immunization roll out plans; S= Social influences and enabling environment. Understanding determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptability will guide public health officials make informed decisions. As the Vaccine becomes progressively available, strategies for efficient roll-out to achieve massive uptake by the targeted population will depend on a number of factors. These include: community engagement efforts; types of health promotion activities and/or messages; community sensitization to dispel myths and misconceptions; endorsements and buy-ins from local champions, celebrities, authorities; logistic considerations; and incentives to health counsellors/workers to create demand.

Keywords: Africa; Antivaccine; COVID-19 Vaccination; Determinants; Likelihood of Acceptability; Vaccine acceptability; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccine uptake; ‘VAMRIS’ Perspective.