Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast
Abstract Malaria has been a severe global and public health concern for the last couple of decades. Ghana, like many other countries in sub–Saharan Africa, is most affected by the disease, with children facing dire consequences. The recent introduction of the RTS, S malaria vaccine holds great poten...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75408-y |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841559638442508288 |
|---|---|
| author | Vincent Bio Bediako Josephine Akua Ackah Theophilus Junior Yankey Joshua Okyere Emmanuella Acheampong Bernard Afriyie Owusu Wonder Agbemavi Adanna Uloaku Nwameme Edward Mberu Kamau Emmanuel Asampong |
| author_facet | Vincent Bio Bediako Josephine Akua Ackah Theophilus Junior Yankey Joshua Okyere Emmanuella Acheampong Bernard Afriyie Owusu Wonder Agbemavi Adanna Uloaku Nwameme Edward Mberu Kamau Emmanuel Asampong |
| author_sort | Vincent Bio Bediako |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Malaria has been a severe global and public health concern for the last couple of decades. Ghana, like many other countries in sub–Saharan Africa, is most affected by the disease, with children facing dire consequences. The recent introduction of the RTS, S malaria vaccine holds great potential in reducing malaria fatalities in children. However, RTS, S implementation have inherent challenges that raise the stakes of vaccine defaults in piloted areas in Ghana. In this study, we examine the predictors of RTS, S vaccine defaults using a cross-sectional research design that covers a sample of 765 caregivers in Southern Ghana. Classification models (Binary logistic regression and Random Forest) were performed to identify critical socio-demographic, health and RTS, S related predictors. The findings show that more than a third (38.43%) of children defaulted at least one dose of the malaria vaccine. Key predictors of defaults included sub-metro of residence, cost of traveling to health facilities, experience of adverse events, knowledge about the vaccine doses, caregiver’s employment status, and religion. Our findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to reduce defaults, mainly focusing on caregiver education on vaccines, reducing financial barriers to healthcare access, and addressing concerns about adverse events. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-131f32f61893485d8b18805ed8ee78fa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-131f32f61893485d8b18805ed8ee78fa2025-01-05T12:16:55ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-01-0115111510.1038/s41598-024-75408-yFactors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape CoastVincent Bio Bediako0Josephine Akua Ackah1Theophilus Junior Yankey2Joshua Okyere3Emmanuella Acheampong4Bernard Afriyie Owusu5Wonder Agbemavi6Adanna Uloaku Nwameme7Edward Mberu Kamau8Emmanuel Asampong9The Graduate Group in Demography, University of PennsylvaniaDepartment of Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineDepartment of Health Sciences and Social Work, Western Illinois UniversityDepartment of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape CoastSchool of Public Health, University of GhanaThe Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health OrganisationSchool of Public Health, University of GhanaAbstract Malaria has been a severe global and public health concern for the last couple of decades. Ghana, like many other countries in sub–Saharan Africa, is most affected by the disease, with children facing dire consequences. The recent introduction of the RTS, S malaria vaccine holds great potential in reducing malaria fatalities in children. However, RTS, S implementation have inherent challenges that raise the stakes of vaccine defaults in piloted areas in Ghana. In this study, we examine the predictors of RTS, S vaccine defaults using a cross-sectional research design that covers a sample of 765 caregivers in Southern Ghana. Classification models (Binary logistic regression and Random Forest) were performed to identify critical socio-demographic, health and RTS, S related predictors. The findings show that more than a third (38.43%) of children defaulted at least one dose of the malaria vaccine. Key predictors of defaults included sub-metro of residence, cost of traveling to health facilities, experience of adverse events, knowledge about the vaccine doses, caregiver’s employment status, and religion. Our findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to reduce defaults, mainly focusing on caregiver education on vaccines, reducing financial barriers to healthcare access, and addressing concerns about adverse events.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75408-yRTSS vaccineMalariaVaccine defaultPublic health |
| spellingShingle | Vincent Bio Bediako Josephine Akua Ackah Theophilus Junior Yankey Joshua Okyere Emmanuella Acheampong Bernard Afriyie Owusu Wonder Agbemavi Adanna Uloaku Nwameme Edward Mberu Kamau Emmanuel Asampong Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast Scientific Reports RTS S vaccine Malaria Vaccine default Public health |
| title | Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast |
| title_full | Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast |
| title_short | Factors associated with vaccine default in Southern Ghana based on data from the RTSS malaria vaccine trial in Cape Coast |
| title_sort | factors associated with vaccine default in southern ghana based on data from the rtss malaria vaccine trial in cape coast |
| topic | RTS S vaccine Malaria Vaccine default Public health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75408-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vincentbiobediako factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT josephineakuaackah factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT theophilusjunioryankey factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT joshuaokyere factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT emmanuellaacheampong factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT bernardafriyieowusu factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT wonderagbemavi factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT adannauloakunwameme factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT edwardmberukamau factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast AT emmanuelasampong factorsassociatedwithvaccinedefaultinsouthernghanabasedondatafromthertssmalariavaccinetrialincapecoast |