Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among University Community members in Otukpo, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study

Suleiman Zakari
* ORCID logo ,
Celestine O. Ogbu
,
Hajara Zakari
,
Chioma Eze Sabina
,
Samuel Bawa Ijimbili
,
Jennifer Ene Idoko
,
Andrew Oche Emmanuel
ORCID logo ,
Amuji Doris Nnenna
,
Bright Chiaka Agbwara
,
Efere Sarah Adokiye
,
Ayodeji Oluwafemi Idowu
ORCID logo ,
Ovie Austine Edegbene
ORCID logo ,
Joseph Anejo-Okopi
*
Version 1 : Received: 27 April 2023 / Approved: 3 May 2023 / Online: 3 May 2023 (02:51:50 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Zakari, S., Ogbu, C.O., Zakari, H. et al. Acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine among university community members of Otukpo, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. Discov glob soc 1, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-023-00013-9 Zakari, S., Ogbu, C.O., Zakari, H. et al. Acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine among university community members of Otukpo, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. Discov glob soc 1, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44282-023-00013-9

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had devastating impacts on the global economy and public health. This study aimed to assess the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and associated factors among staff and students of the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria. A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2021 and April 2022, and data were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the 150 completed and analyzed questionnaires, the majority of respondents (80.0%) were between 16 and 45 years old. The study found that 58.4% of participants indicated vaccine hesitancy, with skepticism about the vaccine's fast production/rollout and fear of vaccine side effects being the most common reasons for hesitation. Respondents' age, religion, and category were significant factors influencing vaccine acceptance and hesitancy (P < 0.05). The university community has a high level of awareness of COVID-19 but low vaccine acceptance, resulting in high levels of vaccine hesitancy. The study recommends that policymakers and public health officials should prioritize testing and vaccination for job categories with higher risk of exposure to COVID-19. They should provide accurate information about COVID-19 testing and vaccination and implement workplace-based testing and vaccination programs. These interventions can help to increase COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake among the university community and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Keywords

Acceptance; COVID-19; Cross-sectional study; Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo; Vaccine hesitancy; Nigeria

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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