'Majority of Africans would take safe virus vaccine'

By Felix Tih

ANKARA (AA) – Nearly 80% of Africans are willing to take a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, according to a survey by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

More than 15,000 people aged 18 and above across 15 African countries were part of the survey, Africa CDC said in a statement on Thursday.

It was conducted between August and December this year in partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), it said.

“Respondents who are older, those who know someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, and those who live in rural areas are more inclined to take a COVID-19 vaccine than younger people, those who have not seen COVID-19 affect anyone, and those living in urban areas,” read the statement.

“Engaging with communities and being responsive to their concerns and information needs around the COVID-19 vaccine will be crucial to building trust not only around COVID-19 vaccine, but for vaccines in general,” said Heidi Larson, co-lead of the study and director of The Vaccine Confidence Project at LSHTM.

“This survey is an eye-opener that provides critical scientific evidence to guide interventions by Africa CDC, member states, and partners for optimization of COVID-19 vaccine uptake across the continent,” said John Nkengasong, director of Africa CDC.

Over 2.43 million cases, including 57,442 deaths and more than 2 million recoveries, have been recorded across the continent so far, according to the latest Africa CDC data.

Several African countries have imposed stricter restrictions to curb a growing second wave of coronavirus infections ahead of the coming holiday season.