COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among Healthcare Facility Workers in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda: A Multi-Centre Cross-Sectional Survey. | LitMetric
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
Published: October 2022
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
This cross-sectional survey explored COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among public healthcare facility workers in Kambia (Sierra Leone), Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Masaka (Uganda). Questionnaire-based interviews conducted between April-October 2021 explored participants' knowledge and perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as COVID-19 vaccine acceptability (defined as uptake of ≥1 dose or intent to get vaccinated). Whilst most ( = 444; 81.8%) of the 543 participants had one or more concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, 487 (89.7%) nonetheless perceived that they were important for pandemic control. Most participants from Kambia or Masaka either were vaccinated ( = 137/355; 38.6%) or intended to get vaccinated ( = 211/355; 59.4%) against COVID-19. In Goma, all 188 participants were unvaccinated; only 81 (43.1%) participants intended to get vaccinated, and this was associated with positive perceptions about COVID-19 vaccines. In Goma, the most common reasons for not wanting a COVID-19 vaccine were concerns that the vaccines were new ( = 75/107; 70.1%) and fear of side effects ( = 74/107; 69.2%). Reported COVID-19 vaccine acceptability was high among healthcare facility workers in Kambia and Masaka. The lower vaccine acceptability in Goma may highlight the importance of social mobilisation and accurate, accessible information that addresses specific concerns.
Age-associated differences in the effect of repetitive vaccination, particularly on memory T-cell and B-cell responses, remain unclear. While older adults (aged ≥65 years) exhibited enhanced IgG responses following COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination, they produced fewer spike-specific circulating follicular helper T cells-1 than younger adults. Similarly, the cytotoxic CD8 T-cell response remained diminished with reduced PD-1 expression even after booster vaccination compared with that in younger adults, suggesting impaired memory T-cell activation in older adults.
Objective: COVID-19 has evolved into a seasonal coronavirus disease, characterized by prolonged infection duration and repeated infections, significantly increasing the risk of patients developing long COVID. Our research focused on the immune responses in asymptomatic and mild cases, particularly the critical factors influencing serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and their predictive value.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on data from 1939 asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients hospitalized between September 2022 and June 2023.
Vaccination is one of the most successful public health initiatives in human history, significantly reducing the incidence and severity of infectious diseases. The success of any vaccination program depends on several factors, including effective leadership, funding, distribution management, and addressing vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine hesitancy, the delay or refusal to be vaccinated despite the availability of immunization services, has always been prevalent in societies but has become more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maternal immunization is a valuable tool for protecting mother and unborn child from vaccine-preventable diseases. However, the implementation of strategies for vaccinating pregnant women has only recently gained traction. This work is aimed at providing an overview of European vaccination strategies and gathering evidence on interventions enhancing vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) in pregnant women.
