Page 84 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Perception and acceptance readiness for COVID-19 vaccine

September 2021 (Machingaidze & Wiysonge, 2021). Soon the factors responsible for vaccine hesitancy. Therefore,
after the invention, more than a billion doses of COVID-19 perception and acceptance readiness for COVID-19
vaccines were shipped worldwide (Loembé & Nkengasong, vaccine in Nigeria, including the reason for hesitancy, is
2021). Vaccine production and distribution have become worth investigating. As such, the research questions for
a top priority in many countries. To limit the spread of this study include:
the disease, every nation, including Nigeria, struggled to (i) What is the level of perception of respondents toward
acquire the sufficient amount of vaccines. COVID-19 vaccine?
(ii) What is the level of acceptance readiness for
Vaccination is a viable solution to stall the dissemination
COVID-19 vaccine?
of vaccine-preventable infections, but vaccine hesitancy still (iii) What are the major reasons for non-readiness?
remains a major threat to global health, although vaccine
was an invention of the past century (WHO, 2019; Puri This study aimed to determine the perception and
et al., 2020). The level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance has acceptance readiness of COVID-19 vaccine among Nigerians.
been a global concern, even in Europe (Reno et al., 2021).
As of January 2021, low COVID-19 vaccine acceptance 2. Data and methods
rates were recorded in Kuwait (23.6%), Jordan (28.4%), 2.1. Study design and area
Italy (53.7%), Russia (54.9%), Poland (56.3%), the US This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nigeria. In
(56.9%), and France (58.9%) (Sallam, 2021). Many African this study, the respondents were surveyed using Google
countries had barely administered 18 million COVID-19 Forms, an online survey tool.
vaccine doses; out of the 37 million, they received in
April 2021(Loembé & Nkengasong, 2021), indicating 2.2. Measures
that only <2% of the vaccines had been inoculated at that Data were collected using a 27-item questionnaire, which
time, corresponding to a coverage of only 1.4% or a very was developed and designed using Google Forms. The
smaller fraction of the continent’s population (Loembé & questionnaire was divided into three sections, covering
Nkengasong, 2021).
sociodemographic details, perception on COVID-19
The level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Nigeria vaccine, and acceptance readiness for the vaccine.
has hitherto a public health concern since the arrival of the Participants were also asked if they have taken the
first batch (four million doses of vaccine) in March 2021. COVID-19 vaccine (only one dose of the vaccine was
As of September 2021, only 2.2% Nigerians had taken at available at the time when the study was conducted in
least a dose of the vaccine, which was markedly lower than April 2021). Furthermore, for those who were yet to be
the global rate of 45% at the same period (Our World in vaccinated and were not ready to be vaccinated, they were
Data, 2022). The total COVID-19 vaccination rate as of requested to provide reasons for their non-readiness.
March 2022 was 9.4%, with 4.3% having completed the
initial protocol and 5.1% being partially vaccinated (Our 2.3. Questionnaire administration
World in Data, 2022). A link to the survey was posted on various social media
Extensive COVID-19 vaccination is critical to platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, in April
safeguarding personal health, protecting vulnerable 2021, and responses were received for a period of 20 days
populations, reopening socioeconomic life, and achieving before the link was deactivated. A total of 302 responses
population health and safety through immunity (NASEM, were received from respondents residing in all six
2021); however, vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a global geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
challenge and there is increasing worldwide concern 2.4. Data management and analysis
toward a general non-acceptance of vaccines (Sallam,
2021; Reno et al., 2021; Cooper et al., 2021; Adigwe, 2021). The questionnaire on the Google Form was designed
With 232,813,000 infections and 4,970,000 deaths reported to prevent multiple submissions by the same user, using
in 40 countries as of September 2021 (Reuters COVID-19 internet protocol (IP) privacy protection system. Regardless
Global Tracker, 2021), the low level of vaccine acceptance of the browser used, no single user filled the form twice.
is still a major concern for the public health sector (Sallam, Data validation measures were also used to ensure all
2021). In Nigeria, the slow progress of vaccination might questions which were completed to avoid missing data.
account for the spike in confirmed cases, for instance, the Responses were exported as Google Excel sheet file after
dramatic rise of cases from 164,000 in April to 201,798 the survey link was deactivated.
in September 2021 (NCDC, 2021). To prevent future The sociodemographic variables such as age, geopolitical
increase in the cases of COVID-19, we need to determine zone, and marital status were expressed as mean, percentages,

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 78 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.364