COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in three rural communes in Haiti: A cross-sectional study

Maurice J. Chery, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Kobel Dubique, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Julia M. Higgins, Strategic Information Systems, Partners in Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Peterson Abnis Faure, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Roslyn Phillips, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Sarah Morris, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Mary Clisbee, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Donaldson F. Conserve, Department of Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services: The George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, Washington, DC, USA.
Tiarney Ricthwood, Department of Medicine & Community Health and Global Health, Duke Institute of Global Health, Durham, NC, USA.
Ralph M. Lefruit, Research Department, Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health Mirebalais: Hopital Universitaire de Mirebalais, Mirebalais, Haiti.
Bethany L. Hedt-Gauthier, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-31-2023

Journal

Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics

Volume

19

Issue

1

DOI

10.1080/21645515.2023.2204048

Keywords

COVID-19; Haiti; immunization; rural; vaccine acceptance; vaccine hesitancy

Abstract

Vaccines are the most effective mechanism for ending the COVID-19 pandemic. However, reluctance to accept vaccines has hindered the efforts of health authorities to combat the virus. In Haiti, as of July 2021, less than 1% of the country's population has been fully vaccinated in part due to vaccine hesitancy. Our goal was to assess Haitian attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and investigate the primary reasons for Moderna vaccine hesitancy. We conducted a cross-sectional survey across three rural Haitian communities, in September 2021. The research team used electronic tablets to collect quantitative data from 1,071 respondents, selected randomly across the communities. We report descriptive statistics and identify variables associated with vaccine acceptance using logistic regression built using a backward stepwise approach. Among 1,071 respondents, the overall acceptance rate was 27.0% (n = 285). The most common reason for vaccine hesitancy was "concern about side effects" (n = 484, 67.1%) followed by "concern about contracting COVID-19 from the vaccine" (n = 472, 65.4%). Three-quarters of respondents (n = 817) identified their healthcare workers as their most trustworthy source for information related to the vaccine. In the bivariate analysis, male gender ( = .06) and no history of drinking alcohol ( < .001) were significantly associated with being more likely to take the vaccine. In the final reduced model, only those with a history of drinking alcohol were significantly more likely to take the vaccine (aOR = 1.47 (1.23, 1.87)  < .001). The acceptance rate for the COVID-19 vaccine is low, and public health experts should design and strengthen vaccination campaigns to combat misinformation and public distrust.

Department

Prevention and Community Health

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