Covid-19 Vaccination Hesitancy: Post-Covid-19 Lessons from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The unexpected onset of COVID-19 baffled mankind. Frantic efforts to stop the spread of the disease were employed, but to no avail. Short-term measures like steaming were proposed, but these were not fruitful, and the disease continued to spread globally. In December 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first medication. Drugs started to reach developing countries like Zimbabwe, but people had no clear information on these drugs. Delays in vaccine uptake have led to continued mortality associated with COVID-19. Hesitancy to vaccination implies that similar future outbreaks of infectious diseases will be hard to control if perceptions in people’s minds are not cleared. The study applied survival analysis to establish the length of time an individual takes to finally and willingly decide to get vaccinated. This was due to many factors, including trust in the vaccine’s origin and efficacy, side effects and many other perceptions. The research found that gender (p< 0.05), employment (p< 0.05), allergy (p< 0.05) and comorbidity (p< 0.05) were influential in deciding whether to get vaccinated or not. It is recommended that information on deadly diseases be available on reliable sources to circumvent misinformation and enhance the acceptability of vaccines in similar future outbreaks.