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Background <p>Ghana became the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to receive the coronavirus vaccine; however, as of December 2023, only 44.3% of Ghanaians had received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with vaccine hesitancy reported at 52.2%. This research aimed to explore the reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among farmers in Northern Ghana.</p> Methods <p>The study adopted a concurrent embedded mixed methods design, which simultaneously collects qualitative and quantitative data. Participants were purposively sampled from five farmer-based organizations. Twenty-four participants were interviewed for 30–45&#xa0;min. The transcripts were imported into NVivo version 14 and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis.</p> Results <p>The farmers’ interviews revealed five themes related to vaccine hesitancy: availability and access, misconceptions about the COVID-19 virus, preference for a single-dose vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine safety concerns, and belief in the non-existence of COVID-19 in Northern Ghana. Farmers’ perspectives on the COVID-19 vaccine varied in the quantitative findings. Approximately 37.5% (n = 9) would postpone and 16.7% (n = 4) would decline the COVID-19 vaccination. About 12.5% (n = 3) expressed some degree of positivity toward the vaccines, while 58.3% (n = 14) stated that COVID-19 was currently unimportant. Vaccine uptake in Northern Ghana among farmers most likely stalled due to a lack of information and the belief that the virus no longer exists.</p> Conclusion <p>The findings highlight the intersecting reasons for vaccine hesitancy from logistical barriers to social and cultural beliefs. To address this, it is crucial to make single-dose vaccines more available, conduct ongoing public health campaigns, and prioritize farmers as a vulnerable population during health emergencies.</p>

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An unmet global agenda: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among farmers in Northern Ghana

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月30日

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  • Prosper Mandela Amaltinga Awuni,
  • Nancy Lightfoot,
  • Emily Donato,
  • Marion Maar,
  • Clement Bomweh Zobazie,
  • James Fenibe Mbinta

摘要

Background

Ghana became the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to receive the coronavirus vaccine; however, as of December 2023, only 44.3% of Ghanaians had received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with vaccine hesitancy reported at 52.2%. This research aimed to explore the reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among farmers in Northern Ghana.

Methods

The study adopted a concurrent embedded mixed methods design, which simultaneously collects qualitative and quantitative data. Participants were purposively sampled from five farmer-based organizations. Twenty-four participants were interviewed for 30–45 min. The transcripts were imported into NVivo version 14 and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

The farmers’ interviews revealed five themes related to vaccine hesitancy: availability and access, misconceptions about the COVID-19 virus, preference for a single-dose vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine safety concerns, and belief in the non-existence of COVID-19 in Northern Ghana. Farmers’ perspectives on the COVID-19 vaccine varied in the quantitative findings. Approximately 37.5% (n = 9) would postpone and 16.7% (n = 4) would decline the COVID-19 vaccination. About 12.5% (n = 3) expressed some degree of positivity toward the vaccines, while 58.3% (n = 14) stated that COVID-19 was currently unimportant. Vaccine uptake in Northern Ghana among farmers most likely stalled due to a lack of information and the belief that the virus no longer exists.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the intersecting reasons for vaccine hesitancy from logistical barriers to social and cultural beliefs. To address this, it is crucial to make single-dose vaccines more available, conduct ongoing public health campaigns, and prioritize farmers as a vulnerable population during health emergencies.