Vaccine Hesitancy: Beliefs and Barriers Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination among the General Population in Khartoum Locality, Sudan 2021

Abstract

Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a complex public health issue concerning the efficacy, safety, or need for vaccination. There needs to be more information about vaccine hesitancy, barriers, and beliefs associated with COVID-19 vaccination among the population in Sudan. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the perception and awareness of Sudanese toward the intake of the COVID-19 vaccine and determine the underpinning beliefs. Materials and Methods: An online, cross-sectional, and self-administered questionnaire was used to survey adult participants from Khartoum locality, Khartoum state, Sudan, on the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine using stratified sampling technique method during August and October 2021. Results: The total number of participants was 369 (133 were males and 236 were females). The public acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines was (64.4%) in Sudan. Vaccination (“Accept” and “Not accept”) to COVID-19 vaccine was predicted through a logistic regression model (Y = 2.963 + 0.641 × age groups + 0.147 × gender + 0.484 × educational level + 0.070 × area +0.449 × chronic illness - 0.071× Belief score [%]). The model revealed that accepting the vaccine, in any case, was statistically significant, with a P-value of 0.0000001. Age, gender, education level, and area of living, despite their contribution to the model, were not statistically significant, with a P-value of respectively 0.336, 0.374, 0.253, and 0.268. Conclusions: A high prevalence of refusal and hesitancy about COVID-19 vaccination in the Sudanese population was observed in the study. The safety concern was the main reason for the unwillingness to accept vaccines.