Knowledge of COVID-19 Vaccine and Factors that Influence Its Acceptance among Patients Living with Chronic Medical Conditions in Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: Vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed but there are not enough vaccines for everyone. Special groups of people, such as those with chronic health conditions, must be prioritized. This study investigates the factors that influence the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among patients living with chronic medical diseases in Nigeria. Study Design:  Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: University College Hospital between October 2021 – December 2021. Methodology: 387 adults with chronic medical conditions were sampled via an offline questionnaire using a cross-sectional design. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. The information was collected using a validated structured questionnaire adapted from the study carried out in Bangladesh by Saifu et al and entered into the Stata MP 14.0. To summarize the data, descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, and percentages were used, and Chi-square analysis was used to test hypotheses with an Alpha level of 0.05. Results: The majority of responders (69.5 %) correctly identify the modes of transmission. . . While the knowledge of COVID-19 infection was found to be statistically correlated with age, gender, education, income and ethnicity, the knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccine is significantly correlated with education and occupation. The respondents' income, occupation, and education were significantly correlated with their desire to receive the vaccine at a p-value<0.01. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to step up efforts to inform Nigerian adults about the COVID-19 infection and the available vaccines, especially those who have chronic medical conditions.