Are fear of COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake? A population-based online survey in Nigeria

Authors: Chutiyami, Muhammad ;

Salihu, Dauda;

Bello, Umar Muhammad ;

Winser, Stanley John ;

Gambo, Amina Abdullahi;

Sabo, Hadiza;

Kolo, Mustapha Adam;

Jalo, Hussaina Abubakar;

Muhammad, Abdullahi Salisu;

Mahmud, Fatima Ado;

Adeleye, Khadijat Kofoworola;

Azubuike, Onyinye Mary;

Bukola, Ibitoye Mary;

Kannan, Priya

Source: Vaccines

Full text

: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081271

Abstract

This study examined the association between COVID-19 and fear of contracting COVID-19 and reasons for vaccination refusal. A population-based online survey was conducted via social media in Nigeria using the Fear of COVID-19 scale and items related to vaccination refusal/hesitancy items. Individuals aged 13 years and older were invited to participate. Data were analysed using binary logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) at a p-value of less than 0.05. The study enrolled 577 individuals with a mean age of 31.86 years, 70% of whom were male and 27.7% of whom had received at least one dose of the vaccine against COVID-19. None of the variables on the Fear of COVID-19 scale significantly predicted vaccine uptake in multivariate analysis. However, individuals who were fearful of COVID-19 were more likely to be vaccinated in bivariate analysis (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.06–2.63). The most significant factors among the vaccination refusal items associated with COVID-19 vaccination were doubts about vaccination (adjusted OR: 2.56, 95% CI: 1.57–4.17) and misconceptions about vaccine safety/efficacy (adjusted OR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.24–3.71). These results suggest that uptake of the vaccine against COVID-19 in Nigeria can be predicted by factors associated with vaccination refusal, but not by fear of COVID-19. To contain the pandemic COVID-19 in Nigeria, efforts should be made to educate people about the efficacy of the vaccine and to increase their confidence in vaccination.

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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Cite as

Chutiyami, M., Salihu, D., Bello, U., Winser, S., Gambo, A., Sabo, H., Kolo, M., Jalo, H., Muhammad, A., Mahmud, F., Adeleye, K., Azubuike, O., Bukola, I. & Kannan, P. 2022, 'Are fear of COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake? A population-based online survey in Nigeria', Vaccines, 10(8), article no: 1271. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081271

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081271

Repository URI: https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publications/b2813c9c-085d-4901-adfb-73a9d4ddbe48