International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 11 Issue: 02 | Feb 2024
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
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KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS COVID-19 VACCINES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN NIGERIA 1st Dr Fatima Mahmood Jibirilla Department of Community Medicine, Baze University, Abuja: Plot 686, Cadastral Zone C00, Jabi, Abuja Nigeria: Lecturer 1 2nd Dr Victor Omeiza Peter Department of Community Medicine, Baze University, Abuja Plot 686, Cadastral Zone C00, Jabi, Abuja Nigeria, Lecturer 11 3rd Stephanie Iwunze, Baze University Alumni Department of Public Health, Baze University, Abuja PMB 3454, Zaria Road, Kano Nigeria 4th Dr Amatu Babakura Imam : Department of Family Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital : PMB 3454, Zaria Road, Kano Nigeria Senior Registrar ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - The study assessed the Knowledge and attitude
respiratory diseases were reported in Wuhan China in December 2019. These outbreaks were eventually traced to be caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2, 2019-nCoV) christened ‘COVID19’. (Yuki et al., 2020) In the absence of vaccines or curative drugs, public health measures were quickly adopted and tweaked daily to accommodate the rapid changes we were faced with across the globe. Countries adopted the swift implementation of lockdowns, use of personal protective equipment, border closures, contact tracings, quarantine, and isolation to manage the spread and attempt to flatten the curve. (Mudenda et al., 2022b).
towards COVID-19 vaccines among undergraduate students in a private tertiary institution. The study sample was 335 students. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, findings were illustrated using textual descriptions, and graphs, with frequencies and percentages. From the results, Gender distribution revealed that 254 (75.8%), of the participants were females, while the remaining 81 ( 24.2%) were males. The students' awareness and sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines show that, 98.5% of participants are aware of the vaccines. Out of which majority, 64.2%, were informed through social media platforms. While 35.2% through official government channels and newspapers. Personal interactions were also influential, as 38.2% credited family and friends for enlightening them about the vaccines. When examining the student's attitude towards the vaccine, those who said they hadn’t any of the COVID-19 vaccines were asked to give the reasons for not receiving the vaccine were Concerns about vaccine safety 109(41.9%), Lack of information about vaccines 51 (19.6%) Personal beliefs or values 42 (16.2%), Medical reasons 22 (8.5%) Lack of access to vaccines 36(13.8%), Age-related reasons 8 (3.1%) and Other unique reasons 7 (2.7%). The reasons influencing their stance were Vaccine efficacy accounted for 100 (35.5%), Vaccine safety was 142(50.4%), Trust in healthcare authorities was 128(45.4%), Trust in vaccine manufacturers had 88(31.2%), Recommendations from family and friends were 81(28.7%), Media coverage stood at 74(26.2%), and Personal beliefs or values at 76(26.6%).
In Nigeria, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention under the Ministry of Health issued a communique indicating the first confirmed case found in Lagos was reported on the 28th of February 2020 (Jacobs & Okeke, 2022). Infection rates apparently remained on a steady increase for about a month. A steep rise in cases began in mid-April and continued over time with occasional declines. At the beginning of the pandemic, an early COVID19 modelling report identified Nigeria as a country with high importation risk and susceptibility to the virus (Gilbert et al., 2020). University campuses can be attributed to certain characteristics that raise the risk of COVID-19 spreading. From overcrowded classrooms and hostels to poor health behaviours among young people and unavoidable regular interactions among students, staff and other members of the university community. On the 2nd of March, 2021, Nigeria received its first shipment of nearly 4 million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine via the COVAX facility from Mumbai. (Unicef, 2021) Since then, other brands ( Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines) have been shipped in from the COVAX Facility and the African Union (UNICEF, n.d.) to strengthen the immunity of the population against the COVID-19 virus. The influx of these vaccines was indeed a step in the right
Key Words: Students, knowledge, attitude, Covid-19
1. INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel Coronavirus a global pandemic on the 11th of March, 2020. (Cucinotta & Vanelli, 2020) This was after a series of acute
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