Attitude and acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccines among Kabul city’s residents: A cross sectional study

Yıl 2023, , 1 - 15, 15.04.2023

Assadullah Samadi , Sayed Sharif Abdali Mohammad Sangary , Mohammad Naiem Alizada Abdul Jawid Neyazi Mohammad Yosuf Farahmand

https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1027198

Öz

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the attitude and perception of Kabul city’s residents toward COVID-19 vaccines hesitancy and acceptance.

Methods: Applying a cross-sectional study design, the data was collected from 665 participants in Kabul city using a predesigned validated questionnaire. For statistical analysis, Spearman correlation, chi-square, and logistic regression techniques were used.

Results: Although the vaccine availability was limited for the public during the survey period, 70.5% of the participants were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, 49.2% participants were concerned about the COVID-19 vaccines side effects. The presence of positive COVID-19 cases among family members and friends (OR: 2.7), presence of fears during COVID-19 pandemic (OR: 4.4) and beliefs that vaccine has important and vital role in people’s protection against COVID-19 (OR: 5.3), increase the likelihood of vaccine acceptance among the participants. On the other hand, participant’s mistrust of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines (OR: 0.21) and disbelief on ministry of public health “MoPH” advice about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficiency (OR: 0.27) decrease the odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the respondents. In addition, a strong correlation was found between vaccine attitude and vaccine acceptance scales (Spearman ρ=0.52, p<0.001).

Conclusion: Although majority of the participants were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, due to high level of participant’s concerns about COVID-19 vaccines-related side effects, a great proportion of the respondents were hesitate to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Accordingly, public awareness about COVID-19 vaccines must be increased to counteract incorrect and misleading propaganda about vaccination and immunization.

Anahtar Kelimeler

COVID-19, Vaccine hesitancy, Vaccination awareness, Cross-sectional survey, Afghanistan

Kabil Şehri’nde yaşayanlar arasında COVİD-19 aşılarına yönelik tutum ve kabul kabulü: Kesitsel bir çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Kabil şehri sakinlerinin, COVID-19 aşılarına karşı tereddüt ve kabulüne yönelik tutumlarının ve algılarının değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.

Yöntem: Kesitsel bir çalışma tasarımı uygulanarak, önceden tasarlanmış ve doğrulanmış bir anket kullanılarak Kabil şehrinde 665 katılımcıdan veriler toplanmıştır. İstatistiksel analiz için Spearman korelasyonu, ki-kare ve lojistik regresyon teknikleri kullanılmıştır.

Bulgular: Anket döneminde aşı bulunabilirliği halk için sınırlı olmasına rağmen, katılımcıların %70.5’i COVID-19 aşısı olmaya istekliyken, katılımcıların %49.2’si COVID-19 aşılarının yan etkilerinin olduğunu düşündüklerini bildirdiler. Aile üyeleri ve arkadaşlar arasında pozitif COVID-19 vakalarının varlığını (OR: 2.7), COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında korkuların varlığını (OR: 4.4) ve aşının insanların COVID-19’a karşı korunmasında önemli ve hayati bir role sahip olduğuna dair inançların varlığını (OR: 5.3) katılımcılar arasında aşıya karşı olumlu tutumun arttığını gösterdi. Öte yandan, Katılımcıların COVID-19 aşılarına karşı güvensizliği (OR: 0.21) ve halk sağlığı bakanlığının “MoPH” COVID-19 aşısının güvenliği ve etkinliği hakkında tavsiyesine inanılmaması (OR: 0.27) katılımcılar arasında COVID-19 aşısının kabul edilme olasılığını azaltmıştır. Ayrıca, COVID-19 aşısına karşı yönelik tutum ve kabul arasında güçlü bir korelasyon bulunmuştur (Spearman ρ=0.528, p<0.001).

Sonuç: Katılımcıların çoğunluğunun, COVID-19 aşılarını olmayı kabul etmesine rağmen, COVID-19 aşıları ile ilgili yan etkiler konusundaki endişelerin yüksek olması nedeniyle, katılımcıların büyük bir kısmında da tereddüt saptandı. Buna göre, aşılama ve bağışıklama konusunda yanlış ve yanıltıcı propagandaya karşı koymak için COVID-19 aşıları hakkında kamuoyununun bilinçlendirilmesi gerekmektedir

Anahtar Kelimeler

COVID-19, Aşı reddi, aşı farkındalığı, Kesitsel anket, Afghanistan

Kaynakça

• Adefisoye JO, Adefisoye MA, George F, Bisi-Johnson MA. Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of People towards the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and Its Effects on Their Livelihoods: Health Economics & Outcome Research: Open Access 2021; 7(2):169 (033-042).
• Malik AA, McFadden SAM, Elharake J, Omer SB. Determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the US. EClinicalMedicine 2020;26.
• Wang J, Jing R, Lai X, et al. Acceptance of covid-19 vaccination during the covid-19 pandemic in china. Vaccines (Basel) 2020;8(3):482.
• Abu Farha RK, Alzoubi KH, Khabour OF, Alfaqih MA. Exploring perception and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccine: A study from Jordan. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17(8):2415-2420.
• WHO [Internet]. Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process updated | WHO - Prequalification of Medical Products (IVDs, Medicines, Vaccines and Immunization Devices, Vector Control). Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from: https://extranet. who.int/pqweb/news/status-covid 19-vaccines-within-who-eulpq evaluation-process-updated
• Garg I, Shekhar R, Sheikh AB. COVID-19 Vaccine in Pregnant and Lactating Women : A Review of Existing Evidence and Practice Guidelines. Infectious disease reports 2021; 13(3):685-699.
• WHO [Internet]. COVID-19 vaccine tracker and landscape. Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from:https://www.who. int/publications/m/item/draft landscape-of-covid-19-candidate vaccines
• Palamenghi L, Barello S, Boccia S, Graffigna G. Mistrust in biomedical research and vaccine hesitancy: the forefront challenge in the battle against COVID-19 in Italy. European journal of epidemiology 2020;35(8):785-788.
• Cordina M, Lauri MA, Lauri J. Attitudes towards covid-19 vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and intention to take the vaccine. Pharmacy paractice (Granada) 2021;19(1): 2317.
• Ciardi F, Menon V, Jensen JL, et al. Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of COVID-19 Vaccination among Healthcare Workers of an Inner City Hospital in New York. Vaccines 2021;9(5):516.
• Nemat A, Raufi N, Sediqi MF, Rasib AR, Asady A. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical students regarding COVID-19 in Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2021;14:1491-1497.
• Afghanistan COVID: 105,755 Cases and 4,293 Deaths - Worldometer [Internet]. Available from: https://www. worldometers.info/coronavirus/ country/afghanistan/
• Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK - BBC News [Internet]. Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from: https://www.bbc.com/news/ uk-55227325
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccinations - Statistics and Research - Our World in Data [Internet]. Available from: https://ourworldindata.org/covid vaccinations
• Wardak MF, Rahimi A, Ahmadi A, et al. Perspective Piece COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts : Is Afghanistan Prepared ? The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2021;105(5):1137-1140.
• Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, COVID-19 Vaccine campaign opening cerimoney. The first phase of COVID-19 vaccination compain of Afghanistan has began in the presence of president Ghani . | Accessed December 14, 2022 [Internet]. Available from: https:// moph.gov.af/en/node/2269
• Ministry of Poblic Health of Afghanistan. Expanded NATIONAL PLAN FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION IN [Internet]. Published online 2021. Available from: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/ files/linked-documents/55012-001- sd-03.pdf
• UNICEF. 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Afghanistan through COVAX global dose-sharing mechanism [Internet]. Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from: https://www. unicef.org/press-releases/14-million doses-covid-19-vaccine-arrive afghanistan-through-covax-global dose COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Kabul city Turk J Public Health 2023;21(1)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Google News [Internet]. Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from: https://news. google.com/covid19/map?hl=en US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
• U.N. sees massive drop in COVID vaccinations in Afghanistan after Taliban takeover | Reuters [Internet]. Accessed December 14, 2022. Availbale from: https://www.reuters.com/ world/asia-pacific/un-sees-massive drop-covid-vaccinations-afghanistan after-taliban-takeover-2021-08-25/
• Polio Remains Threat in Militant-hit Areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan | Voice of America - English [Internet]. Available from: https://www.voanews. com/a/extremism-watch_polio remains-threat-militant-hit-areas afghanistan-and-pakistan/6183091. html
• WHO EMRO, Afghanistan launches second national polio vaccination campaign of 2021. Afghanistan-news. Afghanistan [Internet]. Available from: https://www.emro.who.int/ afg/afghanistan-news/afghanistan launches-second-national-polio vaccination-campaign-of-2021.html
• Ahmadi A, Essar MY, Lin X, Adebisi YA, Lucero-Prisno DE. Polio in Afghanistan: The current situation amid COVID-19. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020;103(4):1367- 1369.
• Yusufzai A. Efforts to eradicate polio virus in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Lancet Child Adolesc Heal. 2020;4(1):17.
• NSIA. Afghanistan statistical book 2020, 1st version [Internet]. issue No. 42, Aprile 2021; Accessed June 23, 2021. Avalable from: https://nsia.gov. af/library
• Paul E, Steptoe A, Fancourt D. Attitudes towards vaccines and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19: Implications for public health communications. Lancet Reg Heal - Eur 2021;1:100012.
• Lazarus J V., Ratzan SC, Palayew A, et al. A global survey of potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Nat Med 2021;27(2):225-228.
• Nemat A, Bahez A, Salih M, et al. Public Willingness and Hesitancy to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine in Afghanistan. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021;105(3):713-717.
• Rapid Assessment on COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake by Urban Marginalised Population in Bangladesh Conducted by: Urban Health Unit CARE Bangladesh - Bangladesh | ReliefWeb [Internet]. Accessed December 14, 2022. Available from: https://reliefweb.int/ report/bangladesh/rapid-assessment covid-19-vaccine-uptake-urban marginalised-population-bangladesh
• Salali GD, Uysal MS. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is associated with beliefs on the origin of the novel coronavirus in the UK and Turkey. Psychol Med 2020; 1-3.
• Bajis S, Van den Bergh R, De Bruycker M, et al. Antibiotic use in a district hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan: are we overprescribing? Public Heal Action 2014;4(4):259-264.
• Grace D, Mulua F, Chungo PO, et all. Mapping of poverty and likely zoonoses hotspots. International Livestock Research Institute. Published online 2012:1-119.
• Tandon T, Dubey A, Dubey S, Manocha S, Arora E, Hasan M. Knowledge, attitude, and perception of Indian population toward coronavirus disease (COVID-19). J Fam Med Prim Care 2020;9(8):4265.
• Keyes K, Karam E, Sabawoon A, Sarwari BA. A national survey on depressive and anxiety disorders in Afghanistan : A highly traumatized population. BMC pcychiatry 2021: 314.
• El-Elimat T, AbuAlSamen MM, Almomani BA, Al-Sawalha NA, Alali FQ. Acceptance and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines: A cross sectional study from Jordan. PLoS One 2021;16(4):e025055.