COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among unvaccinated individuals in a primary care setting, Pretoria
Background: South Africa faced challenges while implementing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures such as mass vaccination. Some people rejected or were hesitant to receive government-recommended vaccines. This study explored COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among unvaccinated individuals in a...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2024-09-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5988 |
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| Summary: | Background: South Africa faced challenges while implementing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures such as mass vaccination. Some people rejected or were hesitant to receive government-recommended vaccines. This study explored COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among unvaccinated individuals in a primary care setting in Pretoria, South Africa.
Methods: This was an exploratory phenomenological study that included one-on-one interviews with 12 individuals at Temba Community Health Centre in Pretoria, South Africa.
Results: The research revealed five themes: perceptions of COVID-19 disease, perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine, factors related to non-vaccination, information sources about the COVID-19 vaccine, and long-term vaccination decisions. There were seven linked sub-themes.
Conclusion: Overall, participants had a good understanding of COVID-19 disease, but limited knowledge about the vaccine, causing hesitancy to get vaccinated. Reasons for not getting vaccinated included health-related concerns, safety concerns, personal experiences, and social and political factors. Safety and health-related concerns were prevalent, with adverse vaccine outcomes being the most common concern. Most participants had experienced a historic encounter with a vaccine-related death or illness.
Contribution: Vaccine hesitancy should be viewed as a powerful concern from the community, and a key source of worry for the health authorities over any vaccine-related doubt. |
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| ISSN: | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |