Fake news and fallacies: Exploring vaccine hesitancy in South Africa

Epidemic modeling for misinformation spread in digital networks through a social intelligence approach

Online digital networks, including social networks, have significantly impacted individuals' personal and professional lives. Aside from exchanging news and topics of interest, digital networks play an essential role in the diffusion of information, which frequently significantly impacts worldwide societies. In this paper, we present a new mathematical epidemic model for digital networks that considers the sentiment of solitary misinformation in the networks and characteristics of human intelligence that play an important role in judging and spreading misinformation inside the networks. Our mathematical analysis has proved the existence and validity of the system in a real-time environment. Considering the real-world data, our simulation predicts how the misinformation could spread among different global communities and when an intervention mechanism should have to be carried out by the policyholders. Our simulation using the model proves that effective intervention mechanisms by isolating the fake news can effectively control the spread of misinformation among larger populations. The model can analyze the emotional and social intelligence of groups frequently subjected to disinformation and disseminating fake news.

Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy in Rural Communities in Western Kenya

Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global public health concern. This study sought to determine the correlates of acceptance and hesitancy regarding COVID-19 vaccines in rural populations of selected counties in Western Kenya and assess the strategies that can be used to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Kenya. The study used a quantitative research strategy with a sample of 806 individuals in the Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kakamega counties. Descriptive statistics, correlations and regression analyses were used. Of the 806 study participants, 55% were males and 45% females. Vaccine acceptance was significantly associated with being a male (AOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.24-1.59, p < 0.031), having no formal education (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI: 1.16-4.40, p < 0.02), working in the private sector (AOR: 5.78, 95% CI: 3.28-10.88 p < 0.02), and have low income (KES 0-999 (USD 0-9.16)), (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.13-3.47, p < 0.02). Conclusions: The current study suggests that male gender, no formal education, working in the private sector, and low income KES 0-999 (USD 0-9.6) are significant factors influencing awareness of and possible acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination.

The Social Ecological Model: A Framework for Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake among Healthcare Workers-A Scoping Review

Vaccination plays a crucial role in combating the global COVID-19 pandemic. Immunizing all healthcare workers (HCWs) is essential for increasing vaccine confidence and acceptance within the general population. Understanding the factors that hinder or facilitate vaccine uptake among HCWs is of utmost importance, considering they are among the first to be vaccinated. This review follows Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, WorldCat Discovery, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published from 2020 to 2023. A descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis approach were employed to collect and synthesize data. Using the social-ecological model as a framework, the literature was categorized into themes at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels. We reviewed a total of fifty-three published academic articles, with the majority of studies conducted in Ethiopia and Nigeria. The intention for vaccine uptake resulted in an unsatisfactory (52%) overall uptake rate among HCWs. Individual-level determinants associated with vaccine uptake included being male, middle-aged, being a physician, having a higher level of education, and having a chronic illness. This review identified significant barriers at each level, such as safety concerns, perceived scientific uncertainty, vaccine ineffectiveness, lack of trust in stakeholders, and religious beliefs. Additionally, we identified facilitators at each level, with the most common factors promoting intention to uptake being the desire to protect oneself and others and a high perceived susceptibility to contracting COVID-19. This review highlights the existence of significant barriers to vaccine uptake on the African continent. Given that HCWs play a crucial role in guiding the public's vaccination decisions, it is imperative to prioritize education and training efforts about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

Perceptions of and Practical Experience with the National Surveillance Centre in Managing Medicines Availability Amongst Users within Public Healthcare Facilities in South Africa: Findings and Implications

The introduction of the National Surveillance Centre (NSC) has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of managing medicines availability within the public healthcare system in South Africa. However, at present, there is limited data regarding the perceptions among users of the NSC and challenges that need addressing. A descriptive quantitative study was performed among all registered active NSC users between August and November 2022. Overall, 114/169 users responded to a custom-developed, self-administered questionnaire (67.5% response rate). Most respondents used the Stock Visibility System (SVS) National Department of Health (NDoH) (66.7% for medicines and 51.8% for personal protective equipment (PPE) or SVS COVID-19 (64.9% for COVID-19 vaccines) or RxSolution (57.0% manual report or 42.1% application programming interface (API)) for reporting medicines, PPE, and COVID-19 vaccines to the NSC and were confident in the accuracy of the reported data. Most respondents focused on both medicines availability and reporting compliance when accessing the NSC, with the integrated medicines availability dashboard and the COVID-19 vaccine dashboard being the most popular. The respondents believed the NSC allowed ease of access to data and improved data quality to better monitor medicines availability and use. Identified areas for improvement included improving internet connectivity, retraining some users, standardising the dashboards, adding more data points and reports, and expanding user adoption by increasing licence limits. Overall, this study found that the NSC in South Africa provides an effective solution for monitoring and improving medicines availability.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Survey among Nursing Care Workers Involved in Caring for Older Adults during the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan

BACKGROUND

As Japan undergoes population aging, nursing care workers play an important role in supporting older adults in the community, which has been particularly critical during COVID-19 pandemic. However, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among nursing care workers regarding COVID-19 have not been fully elucidated.

METHODS

A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in June 2020 among 481 nursing care workers in the nursing care facilities in Aichi, Japan. We assessed COVID-19-related KAP scores of nursing care workers, and compared them by age, sex, and years of experience.

RESULTS

A total of 481 nursing care workers responded to the survey. Out of a maximum of 10 points, the mean (standard deviations) knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 6.86 (1.45), 7.11 (1.42), and 7.40 (1.89), respectively. Comparisons between the KAP scores revealed significantly higher knowledge scores among older workers (p < 0.001) and significantly higher knowledge scores (p = 0.002) and practice scores (p = 0.033) among workers with more than 20 years of working experience.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings revealed that older age and a longer duration of experience were associated with higher COVID-19-related knowledge and practice scores. To better support older adults, it is essential to improve the education system for care workers and to provide environments for delivering necessary information rapidly.

Influences of social media usage on public attitudes and behavior toward COVID-19 vaccine in the Arab world

Background

Vaccination programs are effective only when a significant percentage of people are vaccinated. Social media usage is arguably one of the factors affecting public attitudes toward vaccines.

Objective

This study aims to identify if the social media usage factors can predict Arab people’s attitudes and behavior toward the COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods

An online survey was conducted in the Arab countries, and 217 Arab nationals participated in this study. Logistic regression was applied to identify what demographics and social media usage factors predict public attitudes and behavior toward the COVID-19 vaccines.

Results

Of the 217 participants, 56.2% (n = 122) were willing to get the vaccines, and 41.5% (n = 90) were hesitant. This study shows that none of the social media usage factors were significant enough to predict the actual vaccine acceptance behavior. However, some social media usage factors could predict public attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines. For example, compared to infrequent social media users, frequent social media users were 2.85 times more likely to agree that the risk of COVID-19 was being exaggerated (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 0.86–9.45, p = .046). On the other hand, participants with more trust in vaccine information shared by their contacts were less likely to agree that decision-makers had ensured the safety of vaccines (OR = 0.528, 95% CI = 0.276–1.012, p = .05).

Conclusion

Information shared on social media may affect public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, disseminating correct and validated information about the COVID-19 vaccines on social media is important to increase public trust and counter the impact of incorrect misinformation.

Perceptions and Knowledge towards COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among a Subpopulation of Adults in Kenya: An English Survey at Six Healthcare Facilities

Background: Vaccine hesitancy, as defined by the WHO, is the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines and is one of the ten threats to global health in 2019. Vaccine hesitancy remains a complex matter influenced by multiple factors, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between November 2021 and January 2022 among the general adult public seeking care at six different healthcare facilities in Kenya. The survey, in English, consisted of questions based on demographics, knowledge, and attitudes, including hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Of the 3996 surveys collected, 55.1% were from private, 19.5% from faith-based and 25.3% from government facilities., Approximately 81.0% of all the participants reported it was important to get a vaccine to protect other people from COVID-19, 79.9% reported they would take a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, yet 40.5% reported being hesitant to take the vaccine primarily due to side effects. Most of the variables were associated with receiving a vaccine. Only 52.1% of those seeking care from the government facility and 54.5% of those seeking care from the faith-based facility were vaccinated, compared to 81.5% seeking care from the private facilities (p < 0.001). More participants from private facilities felt that vaccines are safe as compared to those at the faith-based and government facilities (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Vaccine hesitancy in Kenya, even though much lower than reported in other countries, remains a dynamic problem. Mitigating strategies specific to Africa need to be developed to help address vaccine hesitancy in this part of the continent.

COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among Iraqi general population between beliefs and barriers: An observational study

Background: Vaccine apprehension poses a serious threat to global health. While there has been a tremendous global effort to create a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), little is known about its reception in  Iraq. Therefore, we sought to examine COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitation, and related elements in the Iraqi population. Methods: Between the 19th of May and the 22nd of September 2021, a descriptive, cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted employing a quantitative approach. Respondents from both sexes aged 18 years and above who live in Iraq and agreed to participate were included. An anonymized online structured questionnaire was designed based on data from prior research on vaccine  hesitation in general,  and COVID-19 vaccination reluctance specifically. Results: A total of 1221 eligible participants from various regions in Iraq actively participated in the short web-based questionnaire. The overall acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was 56.2%, with a greater acceptance rate among younger male participants (p<0.05). Marital status had no significant association (p=0.834). Urbanization influenced the acceptance rate significantly (p=0.002). The barriers to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were exemplified by the vaccine not being evaluated for a sufficient period in 51.4% of the responses, as well as concerns about future side effects in 76.6% of the responses and a lack of efficacy in 55.7% of the responses. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received 39.6% preference and participants confidence, followed by the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at 18.1% and the Sinopharm vaccine at 14.6%. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination apprehension was discovered in almost half of the study population. Lack of understanding about vaccination eligibility, anxiety about adverse events and vaccine efficacy, and distrust in the government were independently predictive of vaccine hesitation.

COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among Iraqi general population between beliefs and barriers: An observational study

Background: Vaccine apprehension poses a serious threat to global health. While there has been a tremendous global effort to create a vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), little is known about its reception in  Iraq. Therefore, we sought to examine COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitation, and related elements in the Iraqi population. Methods: Between the 19th of May and the 22nd of September 2021, a descriptive, cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted employing a quantitative approach. Respondents from both sexes aged 18 years and above who live in Iraq and agreed to participate were included. An anonymized online structured questionnaire was designed based on data from prior research on vaccine  hesitation in general,  and COVID-19 vaccination reluctance specifically. Results: A total of 1221 eligible participants from various regions in Iraq actively participated in the short web-based questionnaire. The overall acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was 56.2%, with a greater acceptance rate among younger male participants (p<0.05). Marital status had no significant association (p=0.834). Urbanization influenced the acceptance rate significantly (p=0.002). The barriers to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were exemplified by the vaccine not being evaluated for a sufficient period in 51.4% of the responses, as well as concerns about future side effects in 76.6% of the responses and a lack of efficacy in 55.7% of the responses. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received 39.6% preference and participants confidence, followed by the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at 18.1% and the Sinopharm vaccine at 14.6%. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccination apprehension was discovered in almost half of the study population. Lack of understanding about vaccination eligibility, anxiety about adverse events and vaccine efficacy, and distrust in the government were independently predictive of vaccine hesitation.