Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance among Workers at an Oil Company, Pointe-Noire (Congo)

Objective: To identify the determinants of acceptance for vaccination against COVID-19.

Materials and Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted from May to June 2021 among oil company workers. The data was collected using a questionnaire designed with KoboCollect software, the link to which was emailed to the workers.

Results: Of the company’s 703 workers, 224 (31.86%) consented to the study, of whom 172 (76.78%) were men and 52 (23.21%) were women. The vaccination acceptance rate was 45.09%. The median age of workers who accepted vaccination was 42 years compared to 37 years for those who did not. There was no influence on sex (p=0.64549), marital status (p>0.05), previous COVID-19 infection (p=0.11588), and information received on COVID-19 and vaccination (p=0.58804). On the other hand, education level (p=0.04230); 55.7% of managers (p=0.000001), 50% of clerical staff (p=0.02846), 57.83% of staff with COVID-19-related deaths in their environment (p=0.00328) and 68.06% of workers with vaccinated surroundings (p=0.00000) were in favor of vaccination. The main reasons for refusing vaccination or hesitation were the lack of regression on vaccines and the fear of developing side reactions

Conclusion: The refusal/hesitation rate is a concern. Several barriers have been identified, and efforts should be intensified to overcome these barriers.