Department of Medicine, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital/Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Niger J Clin Pract. 2024 Jan 1;27(1):102-108. doi: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_537_23. Epub 2024 Feb 5.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a major barrier to vaccine uptake, and the achievement of herd immunity is required to reduce morbidity and mortality and protect the most vulnerable populations. In Nigeria, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has been high, and uptake remains very low. Healthcare workers (HCWs) in Nigeria can help support public health efforts to increase vaccine uptake.
This study evaluates Nigerian HCWs' acceptance and intent to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine.
Cross-sectional survey among 1,852 HCWs in primary, secondary, and tertiary care settings across Nigeria. Respondents included doctors, nurses, pharmacy workers, and clinical laboratory professionals who have direct clinical contact with patients in various healthcare settings. A 33-item questionnaire was used in the study, with two of the questions focused on the COVID-19 vaccine. The responses to the two questions were analyzed using Chi-square (c2) tests and independent t-tests to determine the acceptance of the vaccine.
The majority of respondents were younger than 34 years (n = 1,227; 69.2%) and primarily worked in hospitals (n = 1,278; 72.0%). Among the respondents, 79.2% (n = 1,467) endorsed the COVID-19 vaccine as a critical tool in reducing the impact of the disease, and 76.2% (n = 1,412) will accept and recommend the vaccine to their patients. The younger HCWs were more likely to endorse and recommend the vaccine to their patients.
There is a moderately high COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among HCWs surveyed in our study. The confidence of HCWs in its use and their willingness to recommend it to their patients can provide a potentially useful element in increasing acceptance by the larger population in Nigeria.
新冠病毒疫苗犹豫是疫苗接种率的主要障碍，需要实现群体免疫以降低发病率和死亡率，并保护最脆弱的人群。在尼日利亚，新冠病毒疫苗犹豫率一直很高，接种率仍然很低。尼日利亚的医疗工作者（HCWs）可以帮助支持提高疫苗接种率的公共卫生工作。
本研究评估了尼日利亚 HCWs 对新冠病毒疫苗的接受程度和推荐意愿。
在尼日利亚的初级、二级和三级保健机构中，对 1852 名 HCWs 进行了横断面调查。受访者包括医生、护士、药剂师和临床实验室专业人员，他们在各种医疗保健环境中与患者有直接的临床接触。该研究使用了一个 33 项的问卷，其中两个问题集中在新冠病毒疫苗上。使用卡方检验（c2）和独立 t 检验分析这两个问题的回答，以确定对疫苗的接受程度。
大多数受访者年龄在 34 岁以下（n=1227；69.2%），主要在医院工作（n=1278；72.0%）。在受访者中，79.2%（n=1467）认为新冠病毒疫苗是减轻疾病影响的关键工具，76.2%（n=1412）将接受并向其患者推荐该疫苗。年轻的 HCWs 更有可能认可并向其患者推荐该疫苗。
在我们的研究中，接受调查的 HCWs 对新冠病毒疫苗的接受率较高。HCWs 对其使用的信心及其向患者推荐的意愿，可以为增加尼日利亚更大人群的接受度提供一个潜在有用的因素。
