Factors shaping Covid-19 vaccine acceptability among young people in South Africa and Nigeria

An exploratory qualitative study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19594361
AutoresMarisa Casale (0000-0002-9258-1927, Oxford Policy Management, autor de correspondencia), Oluwaseyi Dolapo Somefun (0000-0002-3842-2685, University of the Western Cape, autor de correspondencia), Genevieve Haupt Ronnie (0000-0003-3843-0404, University of Cape Town, autor de correspondencia), Joshua Sumankuuro (0000-0002-8967-1091, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, autor de correspondencia), Olagoke Akintola (0000-0002-2137-1906, University of the Western Cape, autor de correspondencia), Lorraine Sherr (0000-0002-5902-8011, University College London, autor de correspondencia), Lucie D Cluver (0000-0002-0418-835X, University of Cape Town, autor de correspondencia)
EditoresFerdinand C Mukumbang (0000-0003-1441-2172)
Año2025
Volumen5
Número3
Páginase0003795
Fecha de publicación2025-03-18
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPLOS Global Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2767-3375 • E-ISSN: 2767-3375
EditorialPublic Library of Science (PLoS) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1371/journal.pgph.0003795
PMID40100797
OpenAlexW4408566408
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas72

Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among young people can be seen as an acute – but not isolated – phenomenon within an alarming longer-term trend of broader vaccine distrust in Africa. Yet there are still considerable knowledge gaps in relation to the scope and drivers of low vaccine acceptability among young people. Moreover, better frameworks and tools are needed to conceptualise and better understand acceptability in this population group. We applied the recently published Accelerate Framework for Young People’s Acceptability to guide qualitative research with young people living in South Africa and Nigeria. We aimed to investigate their overall acceptability of the Covid-19 vaccine, and explore factors shaping this acceptability and willingness to be vaccinated. In collaboration with seven community-based organisation partners, we conducted 12 in-person focus groups and 36 remote interviews with 163 individuals aged 15-24. Through a collaborative, iterative process we conducted thematic analysis, incorporating aspects of both deductive and inductive approaches. Our findings show how vaccine acceptability is shaped by a multiplicity of inter-related factors. They also provide a more in-depth perspective of some of these phenomena, their relative importance and their connections in this group of young people. Limited vaccine understanding, conflicting information and distrust, the influence of others, and fear of side effects were key inter-related drivers of low vaccine acceptability. Factors promoting Covid-19 vaccine acceptability were instead: positive perceptions of vaccine safety and efficacy, protection from disease, protection of others, and a desire to return to normal activity. We discuss implications of these findings for policy and practice, both to increase acceptability of Covid-19 vaccination among young people, and more broadly promote vaccination as a critical component of public health programs. Lastly, we reflect on this first application of the Accelerate Framework, and implications for its use in future studies

Business · Distrust · Environmental health · Exploratory research · Focus group · Misinformation · Political science · Population · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Medicine · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy · Marketing