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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic across Africa: Current Status of Vaccinations and Implications for the Future

Ogunleye OO 1 , Godman B 2 , Fadare JO 3 , Mudenda S 4 , Adeoti AO 5 , Yinka-Ogunleye AF 6 Show all authors , Ogundele SO 1 , Oyawole MR 7 , Schönfeldt M 8 , Rashed WM 9 , Galal AM 10 , Masuka N 11 , Zaranyika T 12 , Kalungia AC 4 , Malande OO 13 , Kibuule D 14 , Massele A 15 , Chikowe I 16 , Khuluza F 16 , Taruvinga T 17 , Alfadl A 18 , Malik E 19 , Oluka M 20 , Opanga S 21 , Ankrah DNA 22 , Sefah IA 23 , Afriyie D 24 , Tagoe ET 25 , Amu AA 26 , Msibi MP 27 , Etando A 28 , Alabi ME 29 , Okwen P 30 , Niba LL 30 , Mwita JC 31 , Rwegerera GM 32 , Kgatlwane J 33 , Jairoun AA 34 , Ejekam C 35 , Mavenyengwa RT 36 , Murimi-Worstell I 37 , Campbell SM 13 , Meyer JC 13

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
  • 2 Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti 362103, Nigeria
  • 4 Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka P.O. Box 50110, Zambia
  • 5 Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti 360211, Nigeria
  • 6 Nigerian Center for Disease Control, Plot 801, Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja 900108, Nigeria
  • 7 Department of Pharmacy, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos 100271, Nigeria
  • 8 Child, Youth and School Health Directorate, National Department of Health, Pretoria 0083, South Africa
  • 9 Children's Cancer Hospital, Egypt-57357 (CCHE-57357), Cairo 11441, Egypt
  • 10 Biomedical Research Department, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo 11774, Egypt
  • 11 CIMAS, Cimas House, Borrowdale Office Park, Borrowdale Road, Harare P.O. Box 1243, Zimbabwe
  • 12 Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe
  • 13 Department of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 02084, South Africa
  • 14 Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Busitema University, Mbale P.O. Box 236, Uganda
  • 15 Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Hurbert Kairuki Memorial University, 70 Chwaku Road Mikocheni, Dar Es Salaam P.O. Box 65300, Tanzania
  • 16 Pharmacy Department, Formerly College of Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), Blantyre P.O. Box 278, Malawi
  • 17 Department of Global Health and Development (GHD), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London WC1E 7TH, UK
  • 18 National Medicines and Poisons Board, Federal Ministry of Health, Khartoum P.O. Box 303, Sudan
  • 19 Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum 11111, Sudan
  • 20 Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676-00202, Kenya
  • 21 Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676-00202, Kenya
  • 22 Department of Pharmacy, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra P.O. Box 77, Ghana
  • 23 Pharmacy Practice Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe PMB 31, Ghana
  • 24 Pharmacy Department, Ghana Police Hospital, Accra P.O. Box CT104, Ghana
  • 25 Department of Management Science, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0QU, UK
  • 26 Pharmacy Department, Eswatini Medical Christian University, P.O. Box A624, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
  • 27 Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Swazi Plaza P.O. Box A624, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
  • 28 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Eswatini Medical Christian University, Swazi Plaza P.O. Box A624, Mbabane H100, Eswatini
  • 29 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Kwazulu-natal (UKZN), Durban 4001, South Africa
  • 30 Effective Basic Services (eBASE) Africa, Ndamukong Street, Bamenda 5175, Cameroon
  • 31 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
  • 32 Department of Medicine, Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
  • 33 Department of Pharmacy, University of Botswana, Gaborone P.O. Box 70480, Botswana
  • 34 Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai P.O. Box 67, United Arab Emirates
  • 35 Department of Community Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos PMB 21266, Nigeria
  • 36 Medical Microbiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP167, Zimbabwe
  • 37 School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Vaccines (Basel), 2022 Sep 17;10(9).
PMID: 36146631 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10091553

Abstract

The introduction of effective vaccines in December 2020 marked a significant step forward in the global response to COVID-19. Given concerns with access, acceptability, and hesitancy across Africa, there is a need to describe the current status of vaccine uptake in the continent. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate these aspects, current challenges, and lessons learnt across Africa to provide future direction. Senior personnel across 14 African countries completed a self-administered questionnaire, with a descriptive analysis of the data. Vaccine roll-out commenced in March 2021 in most countries. COVID-19 vaccination coverage varied from low in Cameroon and Tanzania and up to 39.85% full coverage in Botswana at the end of 2021; that is, all doses advocated by initial protocols versus the total population, with rates increasing to 58.4% in Botswana by the end of June 2022. The greatest increase in people being fully vaccinated was observed in Uganda (20.4% increase), Botswana (18.5% increase), and Zambia (17.9% increase). Most vaccines were obtained through WHO-COVAX agreements. Initially, vaccination was prioritised for healthcare workers (HCWs), the elderly, adults with co-morbidities, and other at-risk groups, with countries now commencing vaccination among children and administering booster doses. Challenges included irregular supply and considerable hesitancy arising from misinformation fuelled by social media activities. Overall, there was fair to reasonable access to vaccination across countries, enhanced by government initiatives. Vaccine hesitancy must be addressed with context-specific interventions, including proactive programmes among HCWs, medical journalists, and the public.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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