Assessment of vaccine hesitancy to a COVID-19 vaccine in Cameroonian adults and its global implication

Title : Assessment of vaccine hesitancy to a COVID-19 vaccine in Cameroonian adults and its global implication

Abstract:

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, no global consensus treatment has been developed and generally accepted for the disease. However, eradicating the disease will require a safe and efficacious vaccine. In order to prepare for the eventual development of a safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccine and to enhance its uptake, it is imperative to assess vaccine hesitancy in Cameroonians. After obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Buea, a questionnaire was administered (May–August 2020) to consenting adults either online or in person. A qualitative thematic analysis was done to analyze the participants’ answers to the open questions. A deductive approach was used, that is, the codes and patterns according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) Working Group Matrix of Determinants of vaccine hesitancy. The number of consenting adult Cameroonians who completed the questionnaire were 2512 (Two thousand five hundred and twelve). Vaccine hesitancy to a COVID-19 vaccine was 84.6% in Cameroonians. Using the WHO recommended Matrix of Determinant of Vaccine hesitancy, the most prominent determinants observed in this study were: Communication and Media Environment, Perception of pharmaceutical industry, Reliability and/or source of vaccine and cost. Most Cameroonians agree that even though there are benefits of a clinical trial, they will prefer it should be done out of the continent and involving African scientists for eventual acceptance and uptake. The concerns of safety, efficacy and confidence has to be addressed using a Public Engagement approach if a COVID-19 vaccine has to be administered successfully in Africa or Cameroon specifically. Since this study was carried out following WHO standards, its result can be compared to those of other studies carried out in different cultural settings using similar standards.

Keywords:
COVID-19 pandemic; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine acceptance; clinical trials; Cameroon

Biography:

Dr. Leontine Kouemou Sinda (PA, MS and PhD) is the Founder/CEO of Saint Leonard Health and Research Foundation (SLHERF) and Founder/Rector of SLHERF University Institute Limbe, Cameroon. She is also the Team Leader of mobile rural health partners: Humanitarian Without Borders of Saint Leonard Health and Research Foundation Cameroon. A Licensed Physician Assistant and Infectious Diseases Specialist from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, she is also an Expert in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action from IRIC, University of Yaoundé 2. Her research focuses on hospital-acquired MRSA, antimicrobial resistance, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Cameroon.

She is a dedicated community team worker with a strong focus on giving back to underserved, less privileged, and remote communities, with the aim of empowering more youths, women, and children in Cameroon and Africa through health, education, entrepreneurship, and skills acquisition. Her vision emphasizes equal access to quality primary healthcare and higher education for all, as well as justice, peace, and sustainable development in Africa. With SLHERF’s multidisciplinary team, Dr. Leontine Kouemou Sinda has strategically created an integrated, sustainable, and decentralized model that could revolutionize both healthcare capacity and delivery to the most vulnerable, while elevating local nurses to provide care within remote communities. Through this initiative, she lays a foundation for a continuously expanding community-based health system.