Trust-building needed to maintain Africa’s faith in vaccines

African trust in vaccine safety is high but extremely fragile, says the Wellcome Trust.

A greater proportion of Africans believe that vaccines are safe than do their counterparts in Europe or the United States. But this faith is fragile and could be easily overturned, according to an analysis by the Wellcome Trust published on 5 September. 

The United Kingdom-based trust’s Global Monitor 2018 report, published on 19 June, surveyed more than 140,000 people from over 140 countries. Over 85 per cent of respondents from sub-Saharan Africa said they think vaccines are safe, compared to around 70 per cent in Europe and the US.