Other Titles
Covid 19 Acceptance and Hesitancy Among People Living with HIV: Lessons from Kenya [Title Slide]
Abstract
The roll out of the Covid 19 vaccine encountered vaccine hesitancy globally (Rahbeni et al., 2024). In East Africa approximately four out of ten people expressed hesitancy towards vaccination (Alie, Abebe, Negesse, Adugna, & Girma, 2024). By the end of 2023, only 21% of Kenyans had received the complete Covid primary series and only 4% had received at least one Covid dose booster vaccine (WHO, 2023). Although Covid 19 is no longer a threat, some variants may emerge (UN, 2023). People living with HIV (PLHV) are more vulnerable to COVID 19 infection and experienced worse clinical outcomes than others. Therefore, it is recommended that PLHV should be prioritized for Covid 19 vaccination (Liu, et al., 2024). Yet, a large proportion of them remain hesitant to be vaccinated (Shrestha et al., 2022). Although several studies have highlighted reasons for vaccine hesitancy among various groups in Kenya, such as refugees among others, most were quantitative and there are limited studies on vaccine hesitancy among PLHV (Orangi et al., 2024). There is need for more in-depth exploration of vaccine hesitancy.
Methods: An exploratory qualitative design was used to explore the barriers and facilitators of Covid 19 vaccine among 20 PLWH in an urban setting. Face to face in-depth interviews were used to collect data from consenting participants. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings: Four themes emerged from the data depicting the barriers and facilitators of the Covid 19 uptake. These include: Perceptions of vaccines, Vaccine acceptance, Vaccine hesitancy and Booster uptake. The variations in the acceptance of the vaccine as well as hesitancy reflects the complex tapestry of perceptions, variations in knowledge, misinformation, and social pressures that influenced the decision making of PLHV. Booster uptake was very limited, illustrating the lack of knowledge of the importance of vaccines.
Conclusion: Although Covid 19 no longer threatens people’s lives, health education on the role of vaccinations for Covid 19 and other vaccine preventable diseases is essential for PLHV to understand the importance of prevention in vaccine preventable diseases. This is key in health promotion and can inform the roll out of vaccines in future pandemics.
Recommendations: Policy makers should develop health promotion programs that address different groups of people in communities.
Notes
References:
Liu, X., Wu, Y., Huo, Z., Zhang, L., Jing, S., Dai, Z., ... & Su, X. (2024). COVID-19 Vaccine hesitancy among people living with HIV: A systematic review and meta-analysis. AIDS and Behavior, 1-10.
Orangi, S., Mbuthia, D., Chondo, E., Ngunu, C., Kabia, E., Ojal, J., & Barasa, E. (2024). A qualitative inquiry on drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in Kenya. PLOS Global Public Health, 4(3), e0002986. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002986
Rahbeni, T. A., Satapathy, P., Itumalla, R., Marzo, R. R., Mugheed, K. A., Khatib, M. N., ... & Dziedzic, A. (2024). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis. JMIR Public Health and Surveillance, 10, e54769.
Shrestha, R., Meyer, J. P., Shenoi, S., Khati, A., Altice, F. L., Mistler, C., ... & Wickersham, J. A. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and associated factors among people with HIV in the United States: Findings from a national survey. Vaccines, 10(3), 424.
United Nations. WHO chief declares end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency 2023. Available from: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136367.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). COVID-19 vaccines | WHO COVID-19 dashboard. Datadot. https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/vaccines
Sigma Membership
Tau Lambda at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, COVID-19 Vaccine, HIV, Kenya
Recommended Citation
Shaibu, Sheila; Shumba, Constance; Kiraithe, Peterson; Akolo, Maureen; and Ndirangu-Mugo, Eunice Wambui, "COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Among People Living with HIV in Kenya: Lessons Learned" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 274.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/274
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy Among People Living with HIV in Kenya: Lessons Learned
Seattle, Washington, USA
The roll out of the Covid 19 vaccine encountered vaccine hesitancy globally (Rahbeni et al., 2024). In East Africa approximately four out of ten people expressed hesitancy towards vaccination (Alie, Abebe, Negesse, Adugna, & Girma, 2024). By the end of 2023, only 21% of Kenyans had received the complete Covid primary series and only 4% had received at least one Covid dose booster vaccine (WHO, 2023). Although Covid 19 is no longer a threat, some variants may emerge (UN, 2023). People living with HIV (PLHV) are more vulnerable to COVID 19 infection and experienced worse clinical outcomes than others. Therefore, it is recommended that PLHV should be prioritized for Covid 19 vaccination (Liu, et al., 2024). Yet, a large proportion of them remain hesitant to be vaccinated (Shrestha et al., 2022). Although several studies have highlighted reasons for vaccine hesitancy among various groups in Kenya, such as refugees among others, most were quantitative and there are limited studies on vaccine hesitancy among PLHV (Orangi et al., 2024). There is need for more in-depth exploration of vaccine hesitancy.
Methods: An exploratory qualitative design was used to explore the barriers and facilitators of Covid 19 vaccine among 20 PLWH in an urban setting. Face to face in-depth interviews were used to collect data from consenting participants. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings: Four themes emerged from the data depicting the barriers and facilitators of the Covid 19 uptake. These include: Perceptions of vaccines, Vaccine acceptance, Vaccine hesitancy and Booster uptake. The variations in the acceptance of the vaccine as well as hesitancy reflects the complex tapestry of perceptions, variations in knowledge, misinformation, and social pressures that influenced the decision making of PLHV. Booster uptake was very limited, illustrating the lack of knowledge of the importance of vaccines.
Conclusion: Although Covid 19 no longer threatens people’s lives, health education on the role of vaccinations for Covid 19 and other vaccine preventable diseases is essential for PLHV to understand the importance of prevention in vaccine preventable diseases. This is key in health promotion and can inform the roll out of vaccines in future pandemics.
Recommendations: Policy makers should develop health promotion programs that address different groups of people in communities.
Description
Covid 19 vaccine hesitancy was encountered in Kenya (Alie, Abebe, Negesse, Adugna, & Girma, 2024). We explored the uptake of the Covid 19 vaccine among 20 PLWH in an urban setting. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged : Perceptions of vaccines, Vaccine acceptance, Vaccine hesitancy and Booster uptake.
Health education on the role of vaccinations for Covid 19 and other vaccine preventable diseases is essential for PLHV and health promotion in future pandemics .