In Africa, doubts about vaccines grew during pandemic, survey finds
Monday, June 12, 2023 - 19:13
in Health & Medicine
Public confidence in vaccines has declined across sub-Saharan Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows. A survey of 17,000 people in eight African nations found that the share of respondents agreeing with the statement that “vaccines are important for children” dropped by up to 20 percentage points from 2020 to 2022. The survey also revealed growing doubts about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and other immunizations in some nations and subnational regions. The trends represent “an early warning signal” for efforts to widely vaccinate children and adults, says Charles Shey Wiysonge , who leads a vaccination program at the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Regional Office for Africa. But the...