DOI: 10.36347/sajp.2021.v10i12.003

Pages: 213-224

Background: Several people are resistant or hesitant to take a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Negative attitudes towards vaccines and the spread of misinformation about the ongoing pandemic can lead to vaccine take hesitancy and that could be a serious problem for managing the COVID-19. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the knowledge, acceptance, perception, and to evaluate the attitudes towards the prospective COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: The research study was carried out using a questionnaire that consisted of questions about the disease and on knowledge, acceptance, and perception of the COVID-19 vaccine. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: The overall acceptance rate of the participants to take the COVID-19 vaccine was 23% (n= 250 of 1085 who completed the questionnaire). Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in the study sample was affected by several factors such as age, gender, education level, income, health status, smoking, and the history of coronavirus infection. About 39.3% (n= 335) of the participants in the study think that COVID-19 was a man-made virus to achieve political goals or economic goals, while approximately half of them (n= 580, 53.4%) think that the COVID-19 vaccine is a purpose to inject microchips into people to control and monitor them. The main reasons for the people willing to get vaccinations were to eradicate the pandemic (31%) and fear for the relatives and friends from the disease (26.1%). While the reasons for refusing to take the vaccine were due to the side effects of the vaccine (29.2%), or for getting natural immunity (28.8%), and because they distrust vaccines (18.7%). Conclusions: The knowledge about vaccine COVID-19 was inadequate; the majority of the respondents were not willing to get vaccinated. High rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy are due to its side effects.