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VACCINE HESITANCY: PERSPECTIVES OF OLDER WOMEN INFANT CAREGIVERS IN URBAN SLUM COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA
Abstract
Background
Vaccine hesitancy contributes significantly to suboptimal vaccination of infants from low wealth quintile families in Nigeria and the different strategies that have been employed to address it are yet to yield satisfactory outcomes. Older women infant caregivers are unrecognized stakeholders in infant care despite their cultural and strategic relevance in infant care. Exploring their views about vaccine hesitancy may offer better understanding of the phenomenon within the local context and guide the design of appropriate interventions.
Aims
To explore the views of older women caregivers regarding vaccine hesitancy and describe their experiences and handling of the same in seven urban slum communities of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Methods
Exploratory qualitative study design was used, and data was obtained using 22 focus group discussions among older women (≥35 years). Data was transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.
Results
The older women described vaccine hesitancy as complete avoidance of vaccine, but many did not view delayed or incomplete infant vaccination as vaccine hesitancy. They had all witnessed or experienced vaccine hesitancy in the past and believed it was due to ignorance, misinformation, and lack of trust in government policies. Vaccine hesitancy have been handled by reporting offending parents to community health committees, threatening and educating such parents by the older women.
Conclusions
Older women infant caregivers studied did not recognize the full spectrum of vaccine hesitancy and were handling it using ineffective means. Training these older women about vaccine hesitancy may improve infant vaccination in Nigerian slum communities.