Low uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Wad Medani City, Gezira State, Sudan: Hesitancy and poor accessibility

Vaccination is an important strategy in the fight against COVID-19. Although Sudan received vaccines since March 2021, vaccine uptake is very low. This study aimed to determine COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy in one of the largest Urban settings in Sudan. A survey was done among adults from 15 market places in Wad Medani city. Collected data included; demographic characteristics, vaccination status, type of received vaccine, number of received doses, side effects experienced after vaccination and reasons for refusing or delaying vaccination. In total, 1323 questionnaires were eligible for analysis. Most respondents were male (55.5%), younger than 60 years of age (89.5%) and received some sort of formal education (92.7%). Education level was significantly associated with vaccination uptake (p < 0.001). At the time of the study; 33.2%, 42%, 16.8% and 8% of participants were vaccinated, willing to receive vaccination, rejecting vaccination or haven’t decided to receive a COVID-19 vaccine yet respectively. The most common reason for rejection indicated by participants was safety concerns (79.3%). Reasons for hesitance expressed by 64% of participant who said they were willing to take the vaccine were unavailability and difficult access to vaccines. Participants who expressed willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine (42%) or were undecided (8%) were invited to a vaccination campaign. Of these, 27.9% attended and received their first shot of COVID-19 vaccine. Education level seems to be the main determinant for vaccination hesitancy. Safety concerns seem to play a major role in rejecting and delaying COVID-19 vaccination. Assuring vaccine's safety seems to be the way forward to reduce concerns about vaccination safety. Hesitancy was also shown to be partially related to difficulty in access to vaccines and a large proportion of the population are expected to receive the vaccine by improving availability and access.