Acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine and associated factors in the population of Libya: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and Aims: To obtain herd immunity and control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, a large proportion of the population must be vaccinated. However, not everyone in Libya believes in the necessity or safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, understanding the reasons and variables impacting vaccine hesitation in the Libyan population will assist in developing strategies to reduce this hesitation and achieve better vaccination levels in the country. This study aimed to investigate the acceptance, hesitancy, and refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine and the factors that influence COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and denial in the Libyan population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a snowball sampling strategy to collect data was conducted between February and May 2022. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used for data analysis. Study questionnaires were distributed using social media. Results: The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was 39.7%, vaccine hesitancy was 36.6%, and vaccine refusal was 23.6% among the study participants. The highest refusal rate was among participants aged 12–24 years, 49 out of 91 (53.8%). Vaccine refusal was similar in males and females; however, vaccine acceptance was higher among females than males. Vaccine acceptance was higher in people with a higher graduate degree than those less educated (P = 0001). Conclusion: Our findings show that vaccine hesitancy was 36.6% and vaccine refusal was 23.6% among the study participants. The study identified reasons for vaccine hesitancy and refusal and proposed education programs to address misbeliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine, allowing people to make informed decisions.