DETERMINANTS OF UPTAKE OF COVID-19 VACCINATION AMONG TEACHERS IN UGANDA,  A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY USING BARRIER ANALYSIS APPROACH.

ALEX MUKEMBO; Victoria  Nabunya; Abdulaziz  Tugume; Racheal  Auma; Chris Derrick  Opio; Benon  Musasizi; Elisha  Nangosha; Isaac Charles Beigareza; Charles  Kayemba; Gabril  Ochom; Phiona  Kisakye

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i3.1044

Authors

Alex Mukembo World Vision Uganda
Victoria Nabunya World Vision Uganda
Abdulaziz Tugume Ministry of Health
Racheal Auma World Vision Uganda
Chris Derrick Opio World Vision Uganda
Benon Musasizi World Vision Uganda
Elisha Nangosha World Vision Uganda
Isaac Charles Beigareza World Vision Uganda
Charles Kayemba World Vision Uganda
Gabril Ochom Ministry of Health
Phiona Kisakye Ministry of Health

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i3.1044

Keywords:

COVID-19, Vaccination, Perceived Risk, Safety, Teachers

Abstract

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect the population with over 233 million infections and over 4 million deaths. COVID-19 resulted in the closure of schools and education institutes in countries including Uganda. Several COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, however uptake and hesitancy remain big challenges. With the reopening of schools and education institutes tagged to total vaccination of teachers, understanding key determinants for uptake of COVID-19 uptake in teachers may help to develop strategies for improving vaccination programs. This study assessed determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among teachers in Uganda.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a barrier analysis approach targeting teachers from both the private and public sectors in 5 districts across the regions of the country. 448 teachers (224 vaccinated and 224 non-vaccinated) were sampled using a multistage approach. Each sampled vaccinated teacher was matched with a non-vaccinated teacher from the same community using a snowball approach. Sampled teachers were interviewed by trained research assistants using structured electronic questionnaires from May –June2021. Collected data was downloaded into Excel then cleaned before being exported to stata version 15 for analysis. At bivariate level, factors were considered significant at p<0.05

Results

Factors that were positively associated with uptake of covid-19 vaccine were older age, easy access to vaccination site, perceived increased risk of contracting COVID-19, belief that COVID-19 vaccine can protect against COVID-19 and trust in the vaccine. Factors that were negatively associated with uptake of COVID-19 vaccines were, lack of vaccines , long distances from vaccination site, perceived severity of side effects and perception that few people contracted COVID-19 in the community.

Conclusion

Increasing access to vaccines through the creation of more vaccination sites, sensitization of safety of Covid vaccines, and risk of contracting Covid by teachers are critical to increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates among teachers.

Author Biographies

Alex Mukembo, World Vision Uganda

is a public health nutritionist currently working with World Vision Uganda as a project coordinator. He holds a masters of Public Health Nutrition from Makerere University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from Uganda Management Institute. His experience is in both clinical and public health nutrition projects and Research programs. He has supported health and nutrition intervention programs especially like RMNACHN and WASH, Immunization, Child health days, Micronutrient supplementation, immunization evaluation through LQAS, Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (eMTCT), Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP), the integrated Community Case Management(iCCM), Community Management of Acute Malnutrition(CMAM),Integrated Management of Acute malnutrition (IMAM), The Baby Friendly Health Facility Initiatives (BFHI) . His academic output is 6 scientific publications and 12 scientific conference presentations.

Racheal Auma , World Vision Uganda

is a distinguished Monitoring and Evaluation Professional with extensive experience across various sectors including Health, Education, Resilience and Livelihood, Child Protection, SRH, and Youth-led development in Uganda. Renowned for her proficiency in designing and managing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, conducting project evaluations and impact assessments, and formulating and tracking indicators, she excels in driving project performance in alignment with organizational goals. Adept at employing innovative data collection, analysis, and reporting methodologies, Racheal possesses advanced analytical skills, utilizing statistical and machine learning techniques for data-driven decision-making. Her commitment to excellence and detail has been instrumental in projects requiring high-level data analysis and visualization. Additionally, her role as a Digital Health Strategist has seen her provide leadership in enhancing health outcomes through digital solutions, offering technical support across countries including Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Kenya, and Zambia, among others. Her expertise embodies a blend of technical leadership, strategic collaboration, and a passion for leveraging technology and data for impactful results.

Chris Derrick Opio, World Vision Uganda

is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in research, evaluation, and digital health, currently serving as a Certified Ethics Reviewer and Research & Evaluation Specialist with Save the Children International's Global Research and Evaluation unit. With a robust background in statistics, economics, and a master's degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Chris is further enhancing his expertise by pursuing a Master of Science in International Public Health. His proficiency with ICT for Development tools like ODK and CommCare, combined with his passion for technology's impact across various sectors, has enabled him to significantly contribute to systems strengthening and manage projects worth over $17 million across Uganda and beyond. Additionally, as a part-time Data Analytics Consultant with over eight years of experience spanning the private sector and humanitarian and development organizations, Chris has a deep understanding of program evaluation across health, education, resilience and livelihood, crisis response, and more in Sub-Saharan Africa, working with major international organizations and donors like USAID, PEPFAR, PFIZER, UN, and GOGLA among others.