Impediments To Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccine in Ifon Town, Ose Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study sought to investigate impediments to acceptance of Covid-19 vaccine in Ifon town, Ose local government, Ondo State. One research question was raised to guide the study. Descriptive research design was used for this study. The population of this study consists of 11,985 all males and females above eighteen (18) years old representing fifty-one percent (51%) of the whole population of Ifon town. The sample size used for this study consisted of three hundred and ten (310) unvaccinated respondents. The research instrument for data collection that used for this study was a structured closed ended survey questionnaire tagged "Questionnaire on Impediments to Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine" and was in two sections. Completed copies of the questionnaire was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage to explain the research questions raised and Chi-square inferential statistics was used to test the formulated hypotheses at a significant level of 0.05. Majority of the respondents cited concerns about vaccine safety, the vaccine not being properly tested, fear of rumors against the vaccine, and the belief that they cannot contract COVID-19 as reasons for their reluctance. Additionally, many participants expressed skepticism about the necessity of the vaccine, viewing the COVID-19 issue as mere propaganda or suggesting that reported cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria are fabricated lies. Concerns about potential side effects, fear of the unknown, and discomfort with injections were also prevalent among the respondents. Age was found to have a significant influence on several impediments to vaccine acceptance, including uncertainty about where to get vaccinated, belief in personal invulnerability to COVID-19, fear of social repercussions such as neighbors laughing or parents scolding, concerns about the vaccine's effects on men.  It was recommended that given the diverse concerns identified among different demographic groups, targeted and tailored public health education campaigns should be developed to address specific misconceptions and concerns. These campaigns should address vaccine safety, efficacy, and the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of COVID-19.