Awareness and acceptability of malaria vaccine among caregivers of under-5 children in Northern Nigeria.

backgroundMalaria vaccine, RTS, S/AS01, has demonstrated modest efficacy against malaria and holds promises for children living in areas where malaria transmission is high. This study assessed caregivers' awareness and willingness to accept the vaccine and provided vital information for policymakers, health workers, and social mobilizers on critical areas to focus on promoting the new vaccine uptake before its arrival for use in Nigeria.

methodsThe study was a community-based cross-sectional survey. A multistage sampling technique was used to select four states in Northern Nigeria, where the incidence and prevalence of malaria are highest in the country and 504 caregivers of under-five children were interviewed. A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used and data analysis was done with p-value at 0.05.

resultsTwo hundred and three (40.3%) respondents were aware of malaria vaccine while four hundred and sixty-three (91.9%) were willing to accept the vaccine when it is introduced for use in the country. Level of education (AOR; 0.42; CI 0.23-0.78), employment status (AOR; 3.03; CI 1.82-5.03), previous experience of other childhood vaccinations (AOR; 4.87; CI 2.89-8.20), and caregivers having suffered malaria within the last one year (AOR; 1.85; CI 1.10 -3.13) significantly predicted malaria vaccine awareness. Awareness of the new malaria vaccine (AOR = 6.88; 95% CI 1.53-30.99), and previous experience of other childhood vaccinations (AOR = 6.16; 95% CI 2.54-14.94) were significant predictors of the vaccine acceptability.

conclusionCaregiver's awareness of the new malaria vaccine was inadequate. There is a need to intensify efforts on social and behavioural communication change activities tailoring messages on the vaccine to address uptake hesitancy. Also, an intense community engagement with focus on providing information on the safety of the vaccine is encouraged.