Preparation for COVID-19 vaccines rollout: Interventions to increase trust, acceptability, and uptake in West African countries

Introduction: The approval of COVID-19 vaccines for use has come as a relief to West Africa and world. However, concerns raised about the vaccines in America and Europe have created anxiety among some citizens in Africa. These concerns are likely to affect the acceptance, and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines in West Africa.

Methods: Guided by the principles of effective community engagement, this research reviewed typical case studies of past vaccination exercises to document concerns, challenges and lessons learnt. These were then used to propose pre-immunisation interventions in West Africa to increase the COVID-19 vaccines acceptance and uptake.

Results: Concerns about safety can undermine the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. These concerns can be addressed through effective community engagement. Community leaderships could be engaged through courtesy calls, workshops and durbars to sensitise them on immunisation. Engaging the scientific community can help build trust and reduce concerns about vaccine safety. In vaccines rollout, managing misinformation is important and the media can play a critical role in addressing these in their reportage. In addition, social media is an effective monitoring tool for vaccine-related misinformation.

Conclusion: The analysis underscores the need for more community engagement before the importation and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in West Africa. Experiences from community responses to previous vaccination exercises for emerging and remerging infectious diseases should inform the current efforts and enhance the process to achieve high uptake and reduce vaccine hesitancy.