Journal
VACCINES
Volume 9, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060543
Keywords
COVID-19; vaccination hesitancy; Somalia; adherence; preventive measures
Categories
Funding
- VLIRUOS (Flemish Interuniversity Council for University Development Cooperation)
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The study found that decreasing adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures over time led to an increase in flu-like symptoms. In Somalia, COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is relatively high but could be improved by addressing factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy.
Most countries are currently gravitating towards vaccination as mainstay strategy to quell COVID-19 transmission. Between December 2020 and January 2021, we conducted a follow-up online survey in Somalia to monitor adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Adherence was measured via a composite adherence score based on four measures (physical distancing, face mask use, hand hygiene, and mouth covering when coughing/sneezing). We analyzed 4543 responses (mean age: 23.5 +/- 6.4 years, 62.4% males). The mean adherence score during this survey was lower than the score during a similar survey in April 2020. A total of 76.8% of respondents were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Flu-like symptoms were more frequently reported in the current survey compared to previous surveys. Multiple logistic regression showed that participants who experienced flu-like symptoms, those in the healthcare sector, and those with higher adherence scores had higher odds for vaccine acceptability while being a female reduced the willingness to be vaccinated. In conclusion, our data suggest that the decreasing adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures may have caused increased flu-like symptoms over time. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Somalia is relatively high but could be improved by addressing factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy.
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