Early vaccine acceptance data ‘very encouraging’ says Africa CDC chief
Eight out of ten Africans would take a Covid-19 vaccine if one was available, indicating a high level of vaccine acceptance on the continent.
The data comes from early analysis of data from a survey carried out by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Data was analysed from 11 countries that have completed the survey so far.
Of the thousands of respondents analysed, 81 per cent said they would be open to receiving a Covid-19 vaccine. “That is very, very encouraging news,” Africa CDC director John Nkengasong told a virtual press briefing on 19 November.
He said that it indicates that Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy might be less of a problem in Africa than in some wealthier parts of the world.
A June survey of 19 countries, including a couple from Africa, found that 71.5 per cent of participants were very or somewhat likely to take a Covid-19 vaccine.
Nkengasong said more analysis was required to see who the 20 per cent are that feel hesitant about a vaccine, and why. “We don’t want to get stuck in the valley of death, where a vaccine is available but where people are hesitant to take it,” he said.
The interim results of the study echo findings published by the Wellcome Trust in 2019, which suggested that a higher proportion of Africans believe vaccines are safe compared with people who live in Europe or the United States. However, that survey also found that overall trust in science was lower in Africa than in several other parts of the world.