Factors Influencing the Uptake of Covid-19 Vaccination among Boda-Boda Riders in Mathare Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Due to the massive spread of the virus, there was a lot of advocacy and wide spread of information on the importance of vaccination that would help and control the spread of the virus. However, this was met by resistance and rejection by the people raising serious concerns. It appeared there was scanty knowledge on the factors associated with vaccine intake in Kenya, with a recent survey estimating the COVID 19 vaccine acceptance among Kenyans to be around 16.28%. The main objective of the study was to establish the factors that influences uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among Boda-Boda riders in Mathare Sub-County in Nairobi. Specific objectives were to determine the influence of respondents‘ perception, prior exposure, government policy, accessibility, and individual factors on uptake of COVID-19 vaccination among Boda-Boda riders in Mathare. The study adopted cross-sectional survey design. The study population were the Boda-Boda riders within mathare sub county. A total sample of 140 study participants participated in the study. The study adopted simple random sampling technique to achieve the sample size. The study used questionnaire to collect primary data. Pre-etsting was done in Ruaraka Sub-County. Collected data was entered and analyzed using SPSS v21 and descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and logistics regression analysis) were done. The results show that majority 99 (70.7%) of the Boda-Boda riders ranged between the age of 17-30. Majority 105 (75.0%) were not vaccinated while a quarter 35 (25.0%) had been vaccinated. Majority 137 (97.9%) of the respondents posited that they were old enough to make decisions on COVID 19 vaccination. The majority of the respondents indicated that their faith did not prohibit the taking up of the COVID -19 vaccine, however, the church and Muslims did not actively encourage their followers to get vaccinated instead adopting COVID-19. Many of the respondents claimed that the haste with which the vaccines were developed rendered them unsafe for use, and that because getting vaccinated did not fully guarantee COVID-19 immunity, getting the vaccine was not suitable for humans. mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policies by the government had negative consequences on public trust, vaccine safety assurance, and human rights among other concern. Boda-Boda operators who had a positive view towards the vaccine more likely to go for the vaccination (OR= 1.21, p<0.05), those with correct information about the vaccine were more likely to be vaccinated (OR=1.022, p<0.05) those who had once experience severe COVID-19 infection were more likely to go for COVID -19 vaccination (OR=1.439, p<0.05), those aware aware of the existing policy framework on COVID-19 vaccination were more likely to be vaccinated (OR=1.171, p<0.05), Where policy on vaccination was not fully enforced Boda-Boda riders were less likely to go for the vaccination (OR=0.79, p<0.05), those who had no knowledge about the seriousness of COVID-19 infection were less likely to go for vaccination (OR=0.704, p<0.05). The

Ministry of Health should organize for more educational campaigns involving the Boda- Boda riders as active participants through public road campaigns and Barraza‘s and also

organize training activities for the riders through various groups/ Sacco‘s in order to reduce the negative perception. The Ministry of Health should continue with educational communication on COVID-19 vaccination uptake both on print media such as newspapers, radios and television to counter the misleading information about vaccinations