Do self-rated health and previous vaccine uptake influence the willingness to accept MPOX vaccine during a public health emergency of concern? A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Monkeypox (MPOX) was declared a global public health emergency of international concern in July 2022. Vaccinations may be an essential strategy to prevent MPOX infections and reduce their impact on populations, especially among at-risk populations. However, less is known about the factors associated with people's willingness to accept the MPOX vaccine in resource-constrained settings. In this study, we examine the associations between self-rated health, previous vaccine uptake, and people's willingness to accept the MPOX vaccine using cross-sectional data from four major cities in Ghana. The data were analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression techniques. We found that the acceptance of the MPOX vaccine is generally low (approximately 32%) in Ghana. The regression analysis reveals that individuals who did not receive vaccines in the past are much less likely to get the MPOX vaccine (AOR:.28; 95% CI:.62-2.37). The association between self-rated health and vaccine acceptance (AOR: 1.22; 95% CI:.62-2.37) disappeared after we accounted for covariates. Based on these findings, we conclude that vaccine uptake history may be critical to people's uptake of the MPOX vaccine.