Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake: evidence from a vulnerable global South setting.

OBJECTIVE: Studies are paying increasing attention to complex social determinants in explaining the variation in the rates COVID-19 vaccine uptake. This study examines the influence of various individual, contextual, and vaccine-related factors on COVID-19 vaccine uptake behaviour in a resource-scarce and vulnerable setting using a quantitative research approach. Using a multi-staged cluster sampling approach, 408 individuals from 204 households in Cape Coast, Ghana's tourism hub, were surveyed. Probit and logistic regression models were estimated to test the vaccine-related factors. RESULTS: A significant difference is observed between wait time and vaccination status (χ2 = 21.17; p = 0.000). Moreover, age and religion, as controlled variables, equally played significant roles in influencing the adoption of the vaccine. Other factors encompass the perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, the perceived benefits of the vaccine in relation to its side effects, and the level of trust individuals have in the concern of vaccine producers for their health. These findings call for targeted campaigns by the Ministry of Health, health facilities and other institutions promoting the COVID-19 vaccine. These actors should emphasize the benefits of vaccination, prioritize trust-building initiatives, and provide clear guidance on vaccination schedules, and manage waiting time.

Decolonising vaccine production: Unpacking Ghanaians' support for made-in-Africa vaccines.

Localisation of vaccine production is essential worldwide, but it is particularly crucial for Africa. This continent is more vulnerable to disease burdens and also lags behind other continents regarding access to vaccines. Moreover, many people in Africa have a long-standing apathy towards locally made products and services. This mindset raises the question of whether Africans will support African-made vaccines and what the associated reasons are. Guided by the theories of nationalism and import substitution industrialisation, we formulated and tested eight hypotheses. To answer these, we analysed survey data from 6,731 residents backed by key informant interviews in Ghana. Our findings identified three types of local vaccine consumers: Afrocentric-ethnocentrics, Apathetic-Afrocentrics and Afrocentric-Fence Sitters. Four out of the eight hypothesised factors explain why some individuals have a positive attitude towards locally made vaccines, compared to those who are unsure of their stance. The proposed typology of local vaccine consumers and their defining characteristics can help design public health campaigns to mobilize support for locally produced vaccines.

Beyond fragmentary: A proposed measure for travel vaccination concerns.

The travel medicine literature points to travelers' concerns as significant promoters of their under-vaccinations. Therefore, this study researches the hitherto understudied concept of vaccination concern and its theoretical scope in the international travel space. It attempts a conceptualization of the concept by delimiting its theoretical scope and proposes a measure for it. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used to conduct four interlocking studies using data from a netnography, field interviews, and surveys among varied international travelers. A scale with six dimensions, comprising safety, efficacy, cost, time, access, and autonomy concerns were revealed. The scale significantly explained mainstream and segments-based tourists' uptake attitudes and behavior for their eligible vaccines. The findings suggest that anti-travel vax sentiments and public vax sentiments despite conceptually similar are considerably distinct. The broad nature of the scale and its prediction of travelers' vaccine uptake make it clinically relevant for tracking and resolving concerns for increased vaccine uptake.