Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine behaviour intentions among the youth in Kenya: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction COVID-19 has become a public health concern globally with increased numbers of cases of the disease and deaths reported daily. The key strategy for the prevention of COVID-19 disease is to enhance mass COVID-19 vaccination. However, mass vaccination faces challenges of hesitation to acceptance of the vaccine in the community. The youth may not be among the vulnerable population to severe COVID-19 disease but are highly susceptible to contracting the virus and spreading it. The aim of the study was to assess COVID-19 vaccine youth behavior intentions and their determinants in Kenya. Methods The study used a mixed method design, employing a cross-sectional survey and focused group discussions across 47 counties in Urban, Peri-Urban and Rural settings of Kenya. The interviewees were youths aged 18–35, registered in online platforms/peer groups that included Shujaaz, Brck Moja, Aiffluence, Y Act and Heroes for Change. Quantitative data was collected using Google forms. A total of 665 interviews were conducted. Quantitative data was analysed using STATA version 16. In this paper we report quantitative study findings. Results The findings of the study indicated that only 42% of the youth were ready to be vaccinated, with 52% adopting a wait and see approach to what happens to those who had received the vaccine and 6% totally unwilling to be vaccinated. The determinants of these behavior intentions included: the perceived adverse effects of the vaccine on health, inadequate information about the COVID-19 vaccine, conflicting information about COVID-19 vaccine from the social media, religious implications of the vaccine, impact of education level on understanding of the vaccine, perceived risk of contracting the COVID-19 disease, efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 affecting women than men and trust in the ministry of health to lead COVID-19 interventions. Significantly it was found that hesitancy is higher among females, protestants and those with post-secondary education. Lack of information and concerns around vaccine safety and effectiveness were main cause of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Social media was the major source of information contributing to hesitancy. Other contributors to hesitancy included low trust in the MoH and belief that mass vaccination is not helpful. Conclusion Vaccine hesitancy remains high among the youth but the causes of it are modifiable and health systems need to have evidence based engagements with the youth to reduce vaccine hesitancy.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in Hawassa City Administration, Sidama Region, Ethiopia: A community-based study

“…However, the association between gender and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine was not statistically significant among adults in the current study. However, in our study, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was higher among Orthodox Christians (43). According to reports from other settings, religiosity appeared to have an impact on the decision to be inoculated with the vaccine (44,45).…”

Behavioural and Social Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Persons with Disabilities in Kenya

“…The major impediment to vaccine uptake was perceived vaccine effects and has also been cited in past studies [29] , [23] , [17] , [16], [27], even among health workers [30] [31] In a study among American with disabilities, vaccine effects were similarly glaring with the study highlighting higher concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety as compared to concerns about contracting the disease. Our study revealed further that most of the purported effects were heard from external sources mainly social contacts.…”

“…On the low vaccine uptake among the youth, Osur et al established the main causes of vaccine hesitancy among youth in Kenya to be concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness, with social media as the major source of information contributing to hesitancy. [17] Higher vaccine hesitancy was also reported in younger persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New York state individuals by [18]. Some studies have also reported lower likelihood of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly [19] [20].…”

Talking about the Vaccine after the Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study among Youth in Turkey and Ethical Issues

“…According to a report dated 11 October 2022 [ 7 ], this rate is about the same as the rate for HICs and above the world average based on the whole population. Nearly half the people who hesitated to get vaccinated, in the range of 20–40% reported in the literature [ 39 , 40 , 47 , 48 ], accepted the vaccine later. As a dimension of vaccine hesitancy, the presence of individuals who both accept the vaccine and maintain their concerns or postpone vaccination due to their concerns [ 15 ] may be in question in this study.…”

“…Additionally, the results from research involving healthcare students in Vietnam linked around 40% of the students to vaccine hesitancy, which was attributed to vaccine manufacturers’ failure to disclose the adverse effects of the products and to some students’ belief that possible side effects may result in death [ 39 ]. In a cross-sectional study investigating COVID-19 vaccine behavioral intentions among youth in Kenya, the vaccine’s perceived adverse effects were among the critical factors causing vaccine hesitancy [ 40 ]. Finally, a study conducted in Nigeria that compared the attitudes toward vaccines of rural and urban young populations revealed that the young rural population was more willing to vaccinate than the young urban population [ 41 ].…”