Association between health and safety perceptions of COVID‐19 vaccine and its uptake in Ghana

BACKGROUND: Attitudes towards vaccines have affected COVID‐19 vaccination programs in many countries. This study sought to evaluate the effects of general perceptions on the safety and health concerns and the confidence in COVID‐19 vaccines on its uptake in Ghana. METHODS: A cross‐sectional online survey was conducted between January and March 2021. The outcome variables for this study were “Taking mandatory COVID‐19 vaccine” and “Taking voluntary COVID‐19 vaccine”. The data were subjected to both descriptive (frequency, percentages, and chi‐square tests) and inferential (complementary log‐log logistic regression) analyses. RESULTS: Out of 620 Ghanians who participated in the survey, about 80% of the participants believed that vaccines were good for one’s health and 73% had confidence on COVID‐19 vaccine safety; although 81% of the respondents were particularly concerned about the source of the vaccine. 79% and 71% of respondents indicated their willingness for mandatory and voluntary COVID‐19 vaccination, respectively. In all operationalized regression models, Ghanaians who believed that vaccines are healthy (OR = 1.998, Cl = 1.345–2.968; OR = 1.652, Cl = 1.050–2.601) and those who had confidence in a COVID‐19 vaccine safety (OR = 4.405, Cl = 3.136–6.188; OR = 8.340, Cl = 5.471–12.713) were more likely to take a mandatory or voluntary COVID‐19 vaccine compared to those who thought and believed otherwise. Individual preferences and/or intentions towards COVID‐19 vaccine uptake and uptake route (i.e., mandatory, voluntary) were influenced by multifaceted determinants: biosocial (age, marital status, education), socio‐cultural (religion, source of vaccine as a concern), and location (geographical zone) factors. CONCLUSION: To consolidate and possibly increase vaccine uptake in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Ghana, health education and promotion programs should aim at creating awareness on the benefits of vaccine uptake while addressing the health and safety concerns on the potential side effects through evidence‐based community messaging from credible sources. It is important to show specific commitment to transparency and reliable information to build public trust by decision‐makers.