ABSTRACT

Background/Introduction: COVID-19 has resulted in widespread infections and increased deaths over the last three years, further causing collateral economic and geopolitical tensions. Vaccinations remain the most effective way to combat vaccine-preventable diseases. Still, public acceptance of vaccines remains a cause of concern and a threat to global health. Vaccine hesitancy must be critically evaluated among community pharmacists as they remain trusted influencers of key health decisions and may affect patients’ vaccination uptake.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge of community pharmacists in Benin City, of COVID-19; explore the levels of hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccine amongst community pharmacists in Benin City; and to identify the reasons why community pharmacists may be COVID-19 vaccine hesitant.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study which utilized a 39-item structured questionnaire divided into five sections. Descriptive statistics and comparative statistics were carried out using the Statistical Software for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29.0. Continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviation while categorical variables were presented as proportions. Differences in proportions were tested using chi-square tests.

Results: There were 142 responses (response rate of 88.75%). The majority (n = 102, 71.8%) were hesitant to COVID-19 vaccine. Half of the respondents were between the age of 20-29 years followed by 36.6% within 30-39 years. From the vaccine-hesitant pharmacist population, a mean score of 2.68 (1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree) was obtained for agreeing to take the COVID-19 vaccine if provided. The major barriers to vaccination reported among the hesitant group were concerns over the short-term and long-term safety of the vaccines.

Conclusion: The findings from the study demonstrate that majority of community pharmacists are considerably hesitant towards the COVID-19 vaccination. The efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine were noted as barriers to vaccination. There is an urgent need for intervention to address the concerns raised by community pharmacists to help increase the vaccine uptake.

Keywords: COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy, Benin, community pharmacists, survey