Healthcare Heroes and COVID-19: Understanding Vaccine Perception and Practice in a Nigerian Tertiary Care Centre

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical role of vaccination in mitigating transmission and severe outcomes, particularly among high-risk groups like healthcare workers (HCWs). Healthcare workers have an important role to play in the success of COVID-19 vaccination programs as their practice and recommending the vaccines to the public is dependent on their perceptions towards the vaccine. Methodology: This cross-sectional study assessed the perceptions, practices, and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nigeria, a pivotal site for national vaccination efforts. A stratified sampling method was used to recruit 260 HCWs, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and administrative staff. Data were collected via validated questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: This survey revealed high awareness (98.8%) of COVID-19 vaccines, with 66.9% demonstrating a good perception of vaccine safety and efficacy. However, only 39.6% had received at least one vaccine dose, highlighting a stark perception-practice gap. Vaccination rates varied by profession. Doctors had the highest uptake (54.5%), while nurses exhibited the lowest (26.8%). Key motivators included civic responsibility (55.3%) and fear of COVID-19 (48.5%), whereas barriers centered on safety concerns (53.1%), perceived inadequate clinical trials (48.8%), and mistrust in institutions (50.4%). Some socio-demographic disparities were significant (p ≤ 0.05), with older, male, and tertiary-educated HCWs more likely to vaccinate. Conclusion: Despite accessibility at NAUTH (71.5% availability), hesitancy persisted due to misinformation and fear of adverse effects. The findings advocate for targeted interventions addressing profession-specific concerns, enhanced public health communication, and community-driven advocacy to bridge the uptake gap. Strengthening transparency in vaccine development and addressing systemic mistrust are vital for achieving global immunization targets in resource-limited settings.