# Knowledge and Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study Among Residents of Jinja District Eastern Uganda

## TL;DR

This study in Uganda found that only about half of the residents had adequate knowledge and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, with education level being a key factor.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into vaccine knowledge and acceptance in a specific Ugandan district, highlighting the role of education.

## Key findings

- 45.2% of participants had adequate knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine.
- 56.2% of participants were willing to accept the vaccine.
- Higher education was significantly associated with better knowledge and vaccine acceptance.

## Abstract

Despite the existence of other public health interventions, vaccination remains a cornerstone in the fight against pandemics. COVID-19 has led to loss of many lives, global economic deteriorations, and unemployment, hence the call for urgent interventions which includes introduction of COVID-19 vaccines.

The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine among residents of Jinja District, Eastern Uganda.

A population-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 participants from Jinja District between 8th and 21st October 2021. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using IBM SPSS version 26.

45.2% of the participants had adequate level of knowledge with a 56.2% COVID-19 vaccine acceptability rate. Highly educated participants were most likely to have adequate knowledge of COVID-19 vaccine than the lowly educated ones (OR= 2.64; 95% CI; 1.32-5.26, P= .006). Having a high level of education (OR=2.7; 95% CI; 1.38-5.10, P= .004) was significantly associated with vaccine acceptability. Farmers and students were less likely to accept COVID-19 vaccine.

The general population of Jinja District demonstrated a low level of adequate knowledge and acceptance towards COVID-19 vaccine. There is need for more public awareness campaigns on the topic using radio and television as means of communication.