Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Perception of Covid-19 Vaccines among Lecturers in Higher Institutions in Ilorin, Nigeria

Background: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude and perception of COVID-19 vaccine among lecturers in higher institutions in Ilorin. Methods: It was a web based cross-sectional study conducted for a period of eight weeks among lecturers in higher institutions in Ilorin. Data on socio-  demographics, COVID-19 and vaccinerelated concerns were collected and analyzed. Descriptive and inferentialfrequency statistics were done. Chi-square  test was used to evaluate associations between the categorical variables. P-value was set at <0.05. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate the  determinants of willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine. Results: A total of 1800 lecturers participated in this study. The gender distribution showed male preponderance (n=1217, 67.6%) and most participants  were married (n=1546, 85.9%). Most common age group was 36-50year (n=772, 42.9%). Majority of the participants got information on COVID-19, vaccine  and preventive measures through the social media. Less than half (46.5%) of the participant used the preventive measures only when present in crowded  environment. Most (93.4%) of the participant believed the preventive measures helps to reduce the spread of the disease. Female gender (p= <0.001),  good perception (p= <0.001) and some other factors affected the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: There was high awareness and good perception of COVID-19 and its vaccine among the study participants. Information about COVID-19  vaccine and the disease were mostly gotten from the social media, as few of the study participants practiced the preventive measures though most were  willing to take the vaccine when it becomes available. Thus, healthcare policy makers should take advantage of social media to disseminate appropriate  information on COVID-19 and vaccine to improve disease control.