The Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Sumatra

In light of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs being implemented worldwide, this study aimed to evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance survey in Indonesia conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), published in November 2020. It was found that Sumatra Island having lower COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates, with Aceh Province displaying the lowest level of vaccine acceptance. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted, and a logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Out of 368 respondents who participated in the survey, 143 (38.9%) accepted the vaccine, and 225 (61.1%) refused it. Vaccine safety concerns constituted the most reported reason for refusal (43.6%). This study also found that province of residence and basic immunization status were determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Sumatra. Concerns regarding vaccine safety might be the reason for the low level of vaccination in Sumatra. Increased education and encouragement from healthcare professionals and regional authority figures can alleviate public concerns and improve vaccine acceptance

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Covid-19 in the Midst of Pandemics among Jakarta Residents

Background: Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia, had been extremely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public consistence with control measures was important, which was greatly affected by knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19. This study aimed to investtigate knowledge, attitudes and practices of Jakarta residents for COVID-19. Subjects and Method: This was an analytic observational study with a cross-sectional design. Sample was gathered online from 221 Jakarta residents, range in age 10 to 60 years, which use self-reported questionnaires consisting of consent, questions about sociodemographics, knowledge, attitudes and practices relevant to COVID-19 and analyzed using t-test and ANOVA. A linear regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with knowledge, attitude and practice. Results: Participants showed moderate level of knowledge (mean= 71.20; SD= 8.37), positive attitudes (mean= 53.47; SD= 5.10) and moderate practice (mean= 78.63; SD= 12.73). Results demonstrated that women have better knowledge (mean= 72.1; SD= 9.0; p= 0.360), optimistic attitudes (mean= 55.1; SD = 6.2; p= 0.005) and great practices (mean= 80.1; SD= 11.6; p= 0.316) towards COVID-19 than men. Elderly have better knowledge (mean= 75.6; SD= 5.0; p= 0.001), optimistic attitude (mean= 56.3; SD= 3.8; p= 0.033) and good practices (mean= 82.4; SD= 14.3; p= 0.301) than younger individuals. Conclusion: Directed approaches in health promotion should be integrated for vulnerable populations, such as men, younger people, and low-income earners who would be at greater risk of COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19, knowledge, attitude, practice Correspondence: Andree Kurniawan. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Pelita Harapan University. Boulevard Jenderal Sudirman, Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia 15811. Email: [email protected]. Mobile: +62-815-8891-655. Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health (2020), 05(04): 477-488 https://doi.org/10.26911/jepublichealth.2020.05.04.1