Caregivers’ perception and acceptance of malaria vaccine for Children

Abstract

Background Malaria is a disease of public health concern and in endemic areas, pregnant women and children under-five years are vulnerable to the disease. The introduction of the pilot program of a malaria vaccine for children under-five years in Ghana is an intervention to further reduce the burden of the disease. However, the availability of the vaccine does not necessarily mean it will be accepted by the public. This is why the perceptions and acceptance of the vaccine among mothers of these children are worth exploring. Method A descriptive qualitative study, with the aid of a semi-structured interview guide, was utilized in collecting data from ten (10) purposively sampled mothers whose children were taking the malaria vaccine in a municipality in Ghana. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim and inductively analyzed into themes describing their perceptions and acceptance. Results Participants were aged between 22 and 40 years with eight (8) of them married. Three themes emerged from the study. "Awareness of malaria and the malaria vaccine" (1), “Insight into the malaria vaccine” (2), where participants communicated the beliefs and judgments formed on the vaccine, its benefits, and the need for vaccinating their children. With the third theme "Reaction to vaccine” (3), participants communicated their motivation to vaccinate their children and their concerns about the administration of the vaccine. Conclusion The caregivers had positive perceptions about the malaria vaccine for children, with fewer hospital admissions and saving money as some benefits. Healthworkers played a significant role in influencing the acceptance of the vaccine. However, the fear of the unknown concerning the side effects of the vaccine serve as a possible barrier to recommending the vaccine to other caregivers. Health education must also address the fears of caregivers in order to enhance recommending the malaria vaccine to other caregivers and promote uptake of the vaccination.

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“…In a study conducted by Victoria et al . [ 18 ], in Ghana, concluded that health education is important because fears and concerns about malaria vaccine are addressed. Addressing the mothers/caregivers concerns through health education may enable the mothers/caregivers to encourage other mothers/caregivers in their communities to get their children vaccinated hence increasing the vaccine coverage.…”

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“…Thus, the development and implementation of enhanced detection techniques are vital 3 . Secondly, the presence of experienced laboratory workers is crucial, particularly in regions with a high prevalence of G6PD deficiency 12 . Skilled technicians play a pivotal role in the early detection of enzyme deficiencies, ensuring the safe initiation of antimalarial therapy 3 .…”

“…Another critical aspect of successful vaccination program is community acceptance and logistic of adequate delivery 13 , 14 . It is necessary to ensure proper education regarding vaccine and its side effects, involvement of community in vaccination, and adequate healthcare services to manage the adverse effects 12 – 15 . In addition, further research is mandated to develop vaccines for malaria.…”