The impact of information sources on COVID-19 Vaccine hesitancy and resistance in Sub- Saharan Africa

Background Vaccination remains the most powerful weapon against the emergence of new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19). However, false information about COVID-19 vaccines through various platforms including social media remain a major threat to global public health. The study examined the impact of information sources on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods A validated web-based questionnaire was administered in French and English to 2572 participants from sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, who were aged 18 years and over. An e-link to the survey was disseminated via emails and posted on social media platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp). The COVID-19 vaccination status (vaccinated, hesitancy and resistance) and their association with sources of information (mainstream media and social media) were assessed by conducting multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results The prevalence of vaccine resistance and hesitancy in SSA was higher among social media users (72.2 and 84.5%) and those that watched TV (73.0 and 79.7%), but lower among newspaper readers (42.5 and 36.7%) respectively, during the pandemic. Multivariate analysis revealed that Southern and Central African respondents were more likely rely on TV for information, women and those who smoke were more likely to rely on friends and family members for information during the pandemic. Lower education (primary education or less) was associated with lower likelihood of social media use for COVID-19 related information compared with postgraduate qualification (aOR 0.36, 95%CI 0.20, 0.62). Resistance to COVID-19 vaccination was associated with reliance families and friends (aOR 1.44, 95%CI = 1.08, 1.93), watching TV (aOR 1.54, 95%CI = 1.11, 2.14) and social media use (adjusted odds ratio aOR 2.93, 95%CI = 2.10, 4.09), which was also associated with vaccine hesitancy (aOR 1.46, 95%CI = 1.15, 1.85) among the respondents. Conclusions Our study showed that reliance on social media and television had the strongest impact on vaccine hesitancy. However, further research and investments are needed to improve the availability of reliable healthcare information in these channels to protect people and empower them to make appropriate choices about their health.