Public trust, information sources and vaccine willingness related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago: an online cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: The response of populations to public health measures may rely on the degree to which the population trusts sources of information and institutions. There has been little research in this area in the Caribbean. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate public trust in information sources, confidence in institutions and COVID-19 vaccine willingness in Trinidad and Tobago. METHODS: An exploratory online survey was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago from November 10(th) to December 7(th) 2020. The survey instrument was a validated questionnaire developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and adapted to the local setting. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: The most trusted sources of information included health workers (32.5%) and the ministry of health (23.6 %). Increasing levels of trust in the medical sector were associated with decreasing levels of believing misinformation. Overall, 62.8 % of participants said they would take the COVID-19 vaccine if available. Regression analyses showed those who agreed that everyone should adhere to the national immunization schedule and those who would take the flu vaccine, were 2.77 (95% CI 1.77-4.35) and 4.60 (95% CI 3.11-6.84) timesmore likely to take the vaccine, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Our study found increasing trust in health sources, confidence in medical sector, adherence to the national immunisation schedule and acceptance of the flu vaccine may increase COVID-19 vaccine willingness rates. Although the generalisability of the findings is limited, the results of this exploratory survey may be used to identify areas for prioritisation and improvement in future research.