Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors among healthcare workers in Katsina state: a cross-sectional study in Northwest Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare workers were prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. Administration of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria was challenging because of a lack of trust in vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness among healthcare workers, who are expected to provide reliable information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases in the communities. Hence, their acceptance and attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive practices could influence the acceptance of the vaccine by the local population. This cross-sectional study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State. We predicted the variables that increased the vaccine acceptance using logistic regression analysis. SETTING: This hospital-based study was conducted at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 793 healthcare workers were included in this study. Of these, 65.4% (n=519) were male. OUTCOME MEASURES: To assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine measures, and factors increasing acceptance among healthcare workers. RESULTS: Of the healthcare workers, 80% (638) were tested for the SARS-CoV-2, of whom 10.8% (n=65) tested positive. Approximately 97% (n=765) of them believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe, and 90% (n=714) received the first dose of the vaccine. Healthcare workers between 30 and 39 years were more likely to accept the vaccine (aOR: 7.06; 95% CI 2.36 to 21.07; p<0.001). Those who had been tested for COVID-19 were more likely (aOR:7.64; 95% CI 3.62 to 16.16; p<0.001) to accept the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that the age and prior COVID-19 testing were the main factors influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. There was high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State, Nigeria. Future studies should focus on the completion of doses and serological testing for immunity.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina state, Northwest Nigeria

High acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are frontline responders in the fight against COVID-19, they were prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. This study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among HCWs in Katsina State using an online structured questionnaire and predicted variables that could increase the acceptance of the vaccine among HCWs using logistic regression analysis. A total of 793 HCWs were included in this study. Of these, 65.4% (n=519) of them were male and 36.2% (n=287) were aged between 30-39 years. Eighty percent (80%, n=638) of the HCWs have been tested for the SARS-CoV-2 out of which 10.8% (n=65) of them tested positive. The majority of the HCWs (97.3%, n=765) believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and 90% (n=714) of the HCWs have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings showed that the age of the HCW, their COVID-19 testing status, and the type of health facility they work (either public or private) were the main predictors for the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among HCWs in Katsina State. HCWs between the age of 30-39 years were more likely (OR:7.06; 95% CI: 2.36, 21.07; p < 0.001) to accept the vaccine than others. In the same vein, HCWs that have been tested for COVID-19 were more likely (OR:7.64; 95% CI: 3.62, 16.16; p < 0.001) to accept the vaccine than those that have not been tested. In addition, HCWs in public health facilities were more likely (OR: 2.91; 95% CI: 1.17, 6.11; p = 0.094) to accept the COVID-19 vaccine than their counterparts in private HFs. There was a high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs in Katsina State. More emphasis should be paid on adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions and availability of vaccines for HCWs in private hospitals.

Characteristics of persons refusing oral polio vaccine during the immunization plus days - Sokoto, Nigeria 2011.

INTRODUCTION: Nigeria, the only African country endemic for wild poliovirus, adopted Immunization Plus Days (IPD) to eradicate polio. Refusal of oral polio vaccine (OPV) by heads of households is a significant challenge. In Sokoto state, we determined characteristics of heads of households refusing OPV during IPD in 2011. METHODS: To evaluate reasons for refusals, we conducted a case control study among heads ofhouseholds accepting or refusing OPV vaccine. Noncompliant households were defined as households refusing OPV vaccination in last three rounds of IPDs while compliant households were those accepting vaccination. Interviewers administered a questionnaire to the heads of households to obtain information on socio-demographics, media habits, and knowledge of IPD. RESULTS: Of the 121 (60 cases and 61 controls) interviews, 88 (73%) were from Sokoto north. Noncompliant heads of households were more likely to lack tertiary education (OR = 3.7, 95% CI, 1.6 - 9.2), believe that OPV is not safe (OR = 22, 95% CI, 7.1 - 76), lack access to functional radio (OR = 4.4, 95% CI, 1.4 - 15) and television (OR = 9.4, 95% CI, (1.9 - 63) andget information about IPD from town announcers (OR = 3.9, 95% CI, 1.3 - 12). CONCLUSION: We conclude that noncompliant heads of households compared to compliant heads of households had low level of education, lacked knowledge of immunization, and had negative attitude towards OPV. They get information about OPV from town announcers and lacked access to functional radio and television. We recommended training of town announcers in polio communication and use of key communication messages preceding every round of IPD.

Understanding the Barriers to the Utilization of Primary Health Care in a Low-Income Setting: Implications for Health Policy and Planning.

The essence of primary health care is the provision of essential health services and commodities to individuals and communities using available, acceptable and sustainable resources. However, there has been a growing lack of confidence by the populace as evidenced by poor utilization of the services. This study sought to identify the predominant barriers affecting the utilization of primary health care services in Batsari Local Government in Katsina State, Nigeria. A cluster of 630 households was surveyed in the catchment of the 21 health primary health facilities. A catchment been defined as a household located within 5 km of a primary health center. Using a three digit randomly generated numbers a household was selected. Once selected the start house and twenty-nine contiguous houses were visited. a total of 630 households were surveyed. In all households, questions were asked on the predominant health problems, as well as the major determinants of access and utilization of primary health care services .The results were computed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software SPSS. Version 17.0. The findings from all the respondents (n=630) showed that majority of the people preferred to seek care from the patent medicine stores (53.63%) as against only 7.6% who utilized the primary health care services. The commonest reasons why respondents do not utilize these services were lack of essential drugs, high cost of services as well as inadequate infrastructure in primary healthcare facilities. The study has highlighted some of the multiple factors affecting the utilization of primary healthcare services. It is expected that these findings will guide policy makers in improving healthcare delivery particularly where the need is greatest - at the grassroots - in line with the national health policy and national health strategic development plan.