PERCEPTION AND WILLINGNESS TO THE UPTAKE OF COVID-19 VACCINE AMONG HOUSEHOLD-HEADS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY OF SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

• Published in: African Journal of Infectious Diseases Vol. 17; no. 2; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Rasaq, Adewoye Kayode, A, Olalubi Oluwasogo, Kayode, Aremu Shuaib, Adeyanju, Alao Taiye, Sylvanus, Ekpo David, Michael, Ipinnimo Tope, Adebayo, Adeniyi Makinde, Oyemomi, Ibrahim Azeez, Adedayo, Sanni Taofeek, Cosmas, Achebe Chijioke, Adewumi, Bakare, Olayinka, Orewole Tesleem, Oladipupo, Abioye Opeyemi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nigeria African Traditional Herbal Medicine Supporters Initiative (ATHMSI) 2023
• Subjects: COVID-19 vaccine; Perception; Household heads; Nigeria; Uptake; Willingness
• ISSN: 2006-0165; 2505-0419
• DOI: 10.21010/Ajidv17i2.1

The COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine have been met with varying perceptions that may have both negative and positive effects on the willingness to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. The study is set to determine the perception and willingness of the household heads to the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in a rural community in Southwestern, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 409 household heads selected through a multistage sampling technique. The instrument of data collection was a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire using the Health Belief model constructs. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS version 21.0 and Pearson's Chi-square test was used to determine the association between perception and willingness to uptake vaccine. P<0.05 was taken as significant at 95% confidence interval. The majority of the unvaccinated respondents in the study were not willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine (60.1%). There was a poor perception of the susceptibility/severity of unvaccinated respondents to COVID-19 infection and a poor perception of the benefit/barrier to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Perception of susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 infection were statistically related to the willingness to uptake the COVID-19 vaccine. There should be an increase in awareness campaigns to change the perception of people positively to COVID-19 infection and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine.