AUTHOR=Noushad Mohammed , Nassani Mohammad Zakaria , Al-Awar Mohammed Sadeg , Al-Saqqaf Inas Shakeeb , Mohammed Sami Osman Abuzied , Samran Abdulaziz , Yaroko Ali Ango , Barakat Ali , Elmi Omar Salad , Alsalhani Anas B. , Talic Yousef Fouad , Rastam Samer 

TITLE=COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Associated With Vaccine Inequity Among Healthcare Workers in a Low-Income Fragile Nation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.914943

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.914943

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objectives: The long-term solution to combat COVID-19 seems to be global immunization coverage. While high-income countries are battling vaccine hesitancy, low-income and fragile nations are facing the double dilemma of vaccine hesitancy and lack of access to vaccines. There is inadequate information on any correlation between vaccine hesitancy and access to vaccines. Our study in a low-income nation aimed to fill this gap.
Methods: In the backdrop of a severe shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in Yemen, a low-income fragile nation, we conducted a nation-wide cross-sectional survey among its healthcare workers. We evaluated factors influencing agreement to accept a COVID-19 vaccine and any potential correlation between vaccine acceptance and lack of access to vaccines.
Results: Overall, 61.7% of the 1581 HCWs agreed to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. Only 45.4% of the participants agreed to having access to a COVID-19 vaccine, with no sex dependent variations. Although several determinants of vaccine acceptance were identified, the strongest was access to vaccines, meaning, improving access to vaccines could lead to greater acceptance.
Conclusion: The immediate and more dangerous threat in Yemen towards achieving population immunity is the severe shortage and lack of access to vaccines, rather than vaccine hesitancy.