Knowledge, Perceptions, and Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Health Care Workers: A Mixed-Methods Study in Abuja, Nigeria
1
Community Medicine and Primary Health Care, Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa, Nigeria
2
School of Public Health, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
3
EpiC, FHI360, Abuja, Nigeria
4
Public Health Research Evidence Dissemination Network, Abuja, Nigeria
5
Liverpool school of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
6
Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Abuja, Nigeria
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Health Care Workers (HCWs) are crucial for vaccine confidence and are a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination due to occupational risk. This study investigates the knowledge, practices, and underlying perceptions influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Health Care Workers (HCWs) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Nigeria.
METHODS:
We employed concurrent mixed-methods cross-sectional design between May and July 2022. The quantitative component surveyed 403 HCWs. The qualitative component involved 10 in-depth interviews (IDIs) to explore perceptions. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors, with p≤0.05 set as significant.
RESULTS:
Overall COVID-19 vaccine uptake was 53.8%. While a high proportion (95.3%) demonstrated good general knowledge, marital status predicted knowledge, and gender predicted vaccine uptake (practices). Uptake was higher in government facilities and significantly associated with the facility type (p<0.05). Qualitative findings revealed that employer mandates and a desire for personal protection were primary drivers. However, acceptance was constrained by persistent barriers, including conspiracy theories (man-made virus), fear of fertility loss, deep-seated religious discouragement, and skepticism over the vaccine’s primary function (preventing infection vs. preventing severe disease).
CONCLUSIONS:
COVID-19 vaccine uptake among HCWs in this urban Nigerian setting is moderate and heavily influenced by external policy (mandates). The coexistence of good knowledge with deep-seated, complex skepticism highlights the critical need for locally tailored interventions. Policy efforts must move beyond basic awareness to actively address specific misinformation, particularly religious and fertility-related fears, to improve voluntary vaccine confidence among HCWs.
Health Care Workers (HCWs) are crucial for vaccine confidence and are a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination due to occupational risk. This study investigates the knowledge, practices, and underlying perceptions influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Health Care Workers (HCWs) in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Nigeria.
METHODS:
We employed concurrent mixed-methods cross-sectional design between May and July 2022. The quantitative component surveyed 403 HCWs. The qualitative component involved 10 in-depth interviews (IDIs) to explore perceptions. Chi-square and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors, with p≤0.05 set as significant.
RESULTS:
Overall COVID-19 vaccine uptake was 53.8%. While a high proportion (95.3%) demonstrated good general knowledge, marital status predicted knowledge, and gender predicted vaccine uptake (practices). Uptake was higher in government facilities and significantly associated with the facility type (p<0.05). Qualitative findings revealed that employer mandates and a desire for personal protection were primary drivers. However, acceptance was constrained by persistent barriers, including conspiracy theories (man-made virus), fear of fertility loss, deep-seated religious discouragement, and skepticism over the vaccine’s primary function (preventing infection vs. preventing severe disease).
CONCLUSIONS:
COVID-19 vaccine uptake among HCWs in this urban Nigerian setting is moderate and heavily influenced by external policy (mandates). The coexistence of good knowledge with deep-seated, complex skepticism highlights the critical need for locally tailored interventions. Policy efforts must move beyond basic awareness to actively address specific misinformation, particularly religious and fertility-related fears, to improve voluntary vaccine confidence among HCWs.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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