Motivating factors for and barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A review of social media data in Zambia

Abstract

The study sought to explore the motivating factors for and barriers to the uptake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine in Zambia and recommend possible ways of addressing the challenges. The study used a qualitative case study approach, employing online media platforms as sources of data. Thematic analysis was to identify topics from posts, with each topic further grouped into themes. Motivating factors to vaccine uptake include an increase in reported cases of COVID-19, accessibility, and availability of vaccines, vaccine certificates required to travel, and credible sources of information. Barriers to uptake include lack of information, concerns about the safety of the vaccine, mistrust in Western medicine, lack of belief in conventional medicine versus belief in God, confusing information about eligibility, and belief that public figures used in the campaigns were not receiving the vaccine. Some of the strategies to encourage vaccination included the involvement of local scientists, demand generation through media platforms, community sensitization, vaccine materials, and creating an enabling environment for community involvement. The social media interactions on the COVID-19 vaccine revealed several factors that impede the uptake of the vaccine and encourage uptake. However, stakeholders’ involvement in scaling up vaccination programs was reported to be one of the effective strategies to increase vaccine uptake in Zambia.

Keywords:

• social media
• COVID-19 vaccine
• barriers
• motivators
• Zambia

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

In this paper, we highlight the beliefs, perceptions, and views of people regarding the COVID-19 vaccine in Zambia. We used social media to best capture views of people not controlled by a study environment; people freely express themselves on social media platforms such as Facebook. Even though social media is limited to young people in urban areas in most developing countries, the study findings present areas for the development of effective strategies to increase uptake.. The vaccine is considered as an intervention developed by Western countries who were once responsible for colonialism and a number of medicle abuses which rasies concerns among some sectors of society in developing countries., This could explain why the numbers of people vaccinated in most developing countries such as Zambia are low as compared to the developed countries.

Abbreviations

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019

IEC Information Education and Communication

MoH Ministry of Health

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Cindy Young Turner for her editorial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Tulani Francis L. Matenga

Tulani Francis L. Matenga is a public health researcher and a teaching assistant. His research interests cut across several disciplines including social and behavioral aspects of HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, health promotion, community resilience, and power dynamics in health care. My research focuses on reducing inequity in health through intersectoral collaboration and on partnership as a vehicle to leverage diverse ways of knowing and power for promoting health and wellbeing. I’m particularly interested in North-South partnership and promoting equity in global health research and socio-cultural beliefs, perceptions, and views of people regarding modern health intervention such as vaccines and the use of technology in health care. The current study is part of the team’s efforts to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake efforts by the ministry of health in Zambia.