COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement, Northern Uganda

Abstract

# Background We investigated the factors associated with people’s acceptability to get the COVID-19 vaccine if made available among refugees in Bidibidi refugee settlement. # Methods Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data between 6 March and 9 April 2021. A binary logistic regression was fitted to examine the factors that determine acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. # Results Majority of respondents (78%) accepted to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Results from the binary logistic regression model show that respondents that were uncertain whether the COVID-19 vaccine would stop transmissions were less likely to get the vaccine (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 0.70; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.51–0.96) than respondents that were not uncertain. Respondents who do not want to go to health facilities (aOR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.44–0.84) were less likely accept the COVID-19 vaccine than their counterparts who want to go to health facilities. The odds to get a COVID-19 vaccine among respondents who put on a face mask sometimes (aOR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.26–2.49) are more than respondents who put on a face mask always. # Conclusions The results inform planning and implementation of COVID-19 vaccine promotion campaigns in humanitarian settings particularly in LMICs in Africa that embody the similar characteristics, contexts and health systems challenges like those in northern Uganda.