Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude
Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure against COVID-19 spread. While the WHO and other stakeholders fear vaccine nationalism, vaccine-hesitancy has become a topical issue among experts. Based on the evidence of vaccine hesitancy among Blacks, we explore the interrelatedness of psycho-...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.2008729 |
| _version_ | 1797673221308284928 |
|---|---|
| author | Prince Clement Addo Nora Bakabbey Kulbo Kwamena Ato Sagoe Andy Asare Ohemeng Enyonam Amuzu |
| author_facet | Prince Clement Addo Nora Bakabbey Kulbo Kwamena Ato Sagoe Andy Asare Ohemeng Enyonam Amuzu |
| author_sort | Prince Clement Addo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vaccination is the most effective preventive measure against COVID-19 spread. While the WHO and other stakeholders fear vaccine nationalism, vaccine-hesitancy has become a topical issue among experts. Based on the evidence of vaccine hesitancy among Blacks, we explore the interrelatedness of psycho-social factors (personal health engagement, fear of COVID-19, perceived susceptibility, and vaccine-related attitude) likely to thwart vaccine acceptance in Africa. We sampled 1768 Ghanaian adults over 2 weeks from December 14, 2020, the first day a successful COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the US using an online survey. A higher level of personal health engagement was found to promote vaccine-related attitudes while reducing COVID-19 related fears, susceptibility, and vaccine hesitancy. Fear of COVID-19 and perceived vulnerability are significant contributors to the willingness to accept vaccination. This is an indication that health engagement alone will not promote vaccination willingness, but the fear and higher level of perceived susceptibility out of personal evaluation are essential factors in vaccination willingness. We recommend promoting health educational messages on COVID-19 vaccination ahead of any vaccination rollout in Africa, and such messages should contain some element of fear appeal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:42:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d56177a87a7438ea29b843174b38c6f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2164-5515 2164-554X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:42:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d56177a87a7438ea29b843174b38c6f2023-09-26T12:53:16ZengTaylor & Francis GroupHuman Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics2164-55152164-554X2021-12-0117125063506810.1080/21645515.2021.20087292008729Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitudePrince Clement Addo0Nora Bakabbey Kulbo1Kwamena Ato Sagoe2Andy Asare Ohemeng3Enyonam Amuzu4Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial DevelopmentUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaAkenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial DevelopmentGeorge Brown CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstVaccination is the most effective preventive measure against COVID-19 spread. While the WHO and other stakeholders fear vaccine nationalism, vaccine-hesitancy has become a topical issue among experts. Based on the evidence of vaccine hesitancy among Blacks, we explore the interrelatedness of psycho-social factors (personal health engagement, fear of COVID-19, perceived susceptibility, and vaccine-related attitude) likely to thwart vaccine acceptance in Africa. We sampled 1768 Ghanaian adults over 2 weeks from December 14, 2020, the first day a successful COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the US using an online survey. A higher level of personal health engagement was found to promote vaccine-related attitudes while reducing COVID-19 related fears, susceptibility, and vaccine hesitancy. Fear of COVID-19 and perceived vulnerability are significant contributors to the willingness to accept vaccination. This is an indication that health engagement alone will not promote vaccination willingness, but the fear and higher level of perceived susceptibility out of personal evaluation are essential factors in vaccination willingness. We recommend promoting health educational messages on COVID-19 vaccination ahead of any vaccination rollout in Africa, and such messages should contain some element of fear appeal.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.2008729vaccine nationalismpersonal health engagementvaccine hesitancyperceived susceptibilitycovid-19 |
| spellingShingle | Prince Clement Addo Nora Bakabbey Kulbo Kwamena Ato Sagoe Andy Asare Ohemeng Enyonam Amuzu Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics vaccine nationalism personal health engagement vaccine hesitancy perceived susceptibility covid-19 |
| title | Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| title_full | Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| title_fullStr | Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| title_short | Guarding against COVID-19 vaccine hesitance in Ghana: analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| title_sort | guarding against covid 19 vaccine hesitance in ghana analytic view of personal health engagement and vaccine related attitude |
| topic | vaccine nationalism personal health engagement vaccine hesitancy perceived susceptibility covid-19 |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2021.2008729 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT princeclementaddo guardingagainstcovid19vaccinehesitanceinghanaanalyticviewofpersonalhealthengagementandvaccinerelatedattitude AT norabakabbeykulbo guardingagainstcovid19vaccinehesitanceinghanaanalyticviewofpersonalhealthengagementandvaccinerelatedattitude AT kwamenaatosagoe guardingagainstcovid19vaccinehesitanceinghanaanalyticviewofpersonalhealthengagementandvaccinerelatedattitude AT andyasareohemeng guardingagainstcovid19vaccinehesitanceinghanaanalyticviewofpersonalhealthengagementandvaccinerelatedattitude AT enyonamamuzu guardingagainstcovid19vaccinehesitanceinghanaanalyticviewofpersonalhealthengagementandvaccinerelatedattitude |