Abstract:
Abstract: COVID-19 is a major public health threat associated with the increased global burden
of infectious diseases, mortality, and enormous economic loss to countries and communities. Safe
and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines are crucial in halting the pandemic. We assessed the COVID-19
vaccine uptake and associated factors among community members from eight regions in Tanzania.
The interviewer-administered questionnaire collected data. Multiple logistic regression models
determined the factors associated with vaccine uptake. The median age of 3470 respondents was
37 years (interquartile range of 29–50 years) and 66% of them were females. Only 18% of them had
received the COVID-19 vaccine, ranging from 8% in Dar es Salaam to 37% in Simiyu regions. A third
(34%) of those vaccinated people did not know which vaccine they were given. Significantly higher
rates of COVID-19 vaccine uptake were among the respondents aged 30+ years, males, and with a
history of COVID-19 infection. Unfavorable perceptions about vaccine safety and efficacy lowered
the rates of vaccine uptake. Setting-specific interventions and innovations are critical to improving vaccine uptake, given the observed differences between regions. Efforts are needed to increase vaccine uptake among women and younger people aged less than 30 years. Knowledge-based interventions should enhance the understanding of the available vaccines, benefits, target groups, and availability.
