ABSTRACT
Introduction: coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a deadly viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Control of COVID-19 through vaccination requires more than just vaccine efficacy and safety. Instead, the vaccine must be widely accepted by the population. The aim of this study was to determine the coverage of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and its determinants among the general population in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: a communitybased cross-sectional study was conducted among 605 randomly selected eligible participants in South Gondar Zone from March 1 to 30, 2022. Descriptive summary statistics were done. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done. Variables with p-value of <0.05 were declared statistically significant. Results: of all participants, about 18.7% of them were vaccinated with any of the COVID-19 vaccines at least one dose. Age from 18 to 35 years (AOR=4.9, 95% CI: 1.7212.84), attended college and above (AOR= 6.3, 95% CI: 1.37, 28.68), positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine (AOR= 8.01, 95% CI: 4.23-15.03), history of COVID-19 (AOR= 3.01, 95% CI;1.29-6.98), history of contact (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.33-4.92), ever tested for COVID-19 (AOR = 0.313, 95% CI: 0.130-0.756) were determinant factors for COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine uptake among adults aged above 12 years was very low. The main reasons for not being vaccinated were doubts about vaccine efficacy, fear of adverse effects, and lack of vaccine access. Therefore, different stakeholders should provide continued awareness creation on COVID-19 vaccine safety, importance, and efficacy. © Nega Dagnew Baye et al.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: with COVID-19 vaccines being developed concurrently, it is clear that inadequate knowledge and poor attitudes among communities around the world provide a significant obstacle and continue to prevent the complete population from being immunized against highly contagious illnesses. The study's objective was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and barriers that healthcare professionals have towards the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire that was disseminated to health care professionals working in the South Gondar zone hospitals, in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. SPSS Statistics Version 25 was used to enter and evaluate the data that were gathered. To ascertain the relationship between independent and outcome variables, binary logistic analysis was performed. Results: a total of 450 respondents participated in the survey, and 90% of them completed and returned. The majority of the participants (94.44%) were aware of the COVID-19 vaccination. More than half of them (56.22%) had experience with COVID-19 treatment, and 54.7% had sufficient knowledge about COVID-19 immunization. The importance of the vaccine in maintaining population COVID-19 immunization coverage and in reducing COVID-19 incidence to prevent the onset of new epidemics, respectively, was positively viewed by more than two-thirds (74.43%) and 84.4% of the respondents, respectively. Furthermore, only 6.6% of respondents approved of pharmaceutical companies' advertising of the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: according to the current study, healthcare professionals had a promising view of COVID-19 immunization. However, the overall percentage of positive responses to the attitude questions was only 48.34%. Additionally, more than 76.67% of the respondents reported that if the community does not receive the COVID-19 vaccination, the incidence of the virus will greatly grow. However, only about half of the respondents had adequate knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccination. © Teklie Mengie Ayele et al.
ABSTRACT
This study aims at exploring the level of knowledge, attitude and factors influencing the preventive practices of people living in urban areas of Wollega zones. This is a qualitative study undertaken from May-September 2020 in six purposively selected towns namely Shambu, Sibu Sire, Nekemte, Anger Gute, Arjo Gudatu and Gimbi based on their higher demographic density and mobility. About 14 key informants have participated in the study. In addition, observation checklist was prepared to observe prevention practices at selected risk sites. The data was analyzed using thematic and case analysis. Results show that the respondents have basic knowledge of the Corona Virus. However, most of them perceived that the disease is politicized. That is, the disease emerged amidst hot political turmoil and unrest, exacerbating the spread of the disease and affecting the implementation of preventive strate-gies. Moreover, the existing economic crisis induced poverty that made the preventive practices unreal-istic. Thus, the study concludes that political stability and level of socio-economic services is the key to tackle COVID-19 transmission. © 2021, University of Gondar. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Since the emergence of COVID 19, the authentic SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into a range of novel variants that are of more global concern. In late November 2021, the Omicron (lineage B.1.1.529) variant was identified as a new variant and considered as the fifth variant of concern. Omicron harbors a genetic profile that is exceedingly unusual, with a huge number of mutations. Above thirty mutations are localized in the S protein, while some are found in other structural and non-structural proteins. Half of the mutations in the S protein are in the RBD, which is a major target of antibodies, showing that Omicron mutations may affect antibody binding affinity to the S protein. The Omicron variant has been found to result in immune escape, therapeutic or vaccine escape, as well as increased transmissibility and reinfection risk, explaining its rapid international spread that sparks a global alarm even more serious than the previously reported variants. Omicron has the capability to bypass at least some of the multi-faceted immune responses induced by prior infection or vaccination. It is shown to extensively escape neutralizing antibodies while evading cell mediated immune defense to a lesser extent. The efficacy of COVID 19 vaccines against Omicron variant is decreased with primary vaccination, showing that the vaccine is less efficient in preventing Omicron infections. However, after receiving a booster vaccine dose, the immunological response to Omicron significantly improved and hold promising results. Despite the mild nature of the disease in most vaccinated people, the rapid spread of Omicron, as well as the increased risk of re-infection, poses yet another major public health concern. Therefore, effort should be devoted to maintaining the existing COVID 19 preventive measures as well as developing new vaccination strategies in order to control the fast dissemination of Omicron.