In Africa, doubts about vaccines grew during pandemic, survey finds

Public confidence in vaccines has declined across sub-Saharan Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows. A survey of 17,000 people in eight African nations found that the share of respondents agreeing with the statement that “vaccines are important for children” dropped by up to 20 percentage points from 2020 to 2022. The survey also revealed growing doubts about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations in some nations and subnational regions. The trends represent “an early warning signal” for efforts to widely vaccinate children and adults, says Charles Shey Wiysonge , who leads a vaccination program at the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Regional Office for Africa. But the data could also help health officials identify specific regions where they will need to undertake focused efforts to restore trust in vaccines, he and other specialists say. To detect shifts in public perceptions of vaccines, an international research team surveyed people in the eight nations—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ivory Coast, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda—in late 2020 and again in early 2022. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with a number of general statements about vaccines, including “vaccines are important for children,” “vaccines are important for all ages,” and “vaccines are safe.” The survey also probed perceptions ...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research