| Autor: |
Muthoni J; African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Otwombe K; Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa.; School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Thaele D; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Choge I; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Steenberg B; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Cutland C; African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Madhi SA; African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa.; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Sokani A; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa., Myburgh N; South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa. |
| Abstrakt: |
In combatting COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), immunization is the most prominent strategy. However, vaccination hesitancy-meaning delays in accepting or denying inoculation regardless of availability-has been identified as an essential threat to global health. Attitudes and perceptions play a pivotal role in vaccine acceptability. Meanwhile, uptake in South Africa's rollout has been particularly disappointing among youths. For that reason, we explored attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 in 380 youths in Soweto and Thembelihle, South Africa, between April and June 2022. A staggering hesitancy rate of 79.2 percent was recorded (301/380). We found negative attitudes and confounded perceptions of COVID-19 to be fueled by medical mistrust and misinformation, with online channels as the main sources of non- and counterfactual claims stemming mostly from unregulated social media popular with youths. Understanding its underpinnings-and enhancing means of curbing vaccine hesitancy-will be paramount in boosting uptake in South Africa's immunization program, particularly among youths. |
