Communicating COVID-19 Vaccine Safety: Knowledge and Attitude Among Residents of South East, Nigeria

Abstract

Background

The fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has continued to threaten human existence globally, has led to the development of vaccines in order to control the rate of infection and death associated with the disease. Media messages on the COVID-19 vaccine are geared towards raising audience awareness and understanding of health risks, knowledge and attitudes about the vaccine safety.

Objective

The study examined the knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine safety media messages amongst residents of South East, Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 399 respondents (18–47 years) in both urban and rural communities of South East, Nigeria from May 6th to July 4th, 2021. The survey was carried out using structured self administered questionnaire containing the respondents’ demographics, knowledge and attitudes towards media messages regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety. The data were analysed using the SPSS version 26 software. Result was presented in frequencies, percentages and charts showing the interrelatedness of the variables examined. Regression ANOVA was used to test hypotheses on the extent to which level of exposure to COVID-19 media messages predict their knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine safety at P<0.05 level of significance.

Results

Data indicate respondents are apprehensive of taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately, 91% of respondents are between the ages of 18 and 27 years. Meanwhile, 26.1% of the respondents agreed that media messages on COVID-19 vaccine is very assuring and convincing as regards human safety; 42.4% disagreed on the safety of COVID-19 vaccine safety messages; 26.1% rated vaccine messages as moderate as regards human safety, while 5.5% rated the vaccine messages as poor. Knowledge of respondents regarding the safety of the vaccine was low and respondents’ attitude was negative in South East, Nigeria. The implication is indicative of the failure of the main stream media in educating the general public on pertinent health issues relevant to them.

Conclusion

Knowledge regarding media messages on COVID-19 vaccine safety is low. Messages on COVID-19 vaccine safety were not sufficient and convincing. Consequently, there is a negative attitude towards the vaccine. Hence, improving knowledge and adoptive attitude amongst respondents amidst COVID-19 is critical.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• vaccine
• safety
• knowledge
• attitude
• media advocacies

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants involved in this study.

Data Sharing Statement

The data presented in this work are with the authors and will be made available on request.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

Ethical clearance was obtained from the Faculty of Arts Research Ethics Committee University of Nigeria, Nsukka with reference No UN/FA/FAREC/02232021. All participants involved in this study were 18 years and above, and provided written informed consent in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed significantly to the work and have agreed on the journal to which the article will be submitted, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.