African Genetic Engineering (Applied Science/Tech) | 23 December 2013
Plant-Based Vaccines in Urban Hospitals: A Three-Year Impact Assessment Among Hospital Staff in Cape Town, South Africa
S, i, b, o, n, g, i, l, e, K, h, u, m, a, l, o, ,, N, t, h, a, b, i, M, o, k, g, o, p, a, n, g, ,, T, h, e, m, b, a, N, g, u, b, a, n, e
Abstract
In urban hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa, there has been increasing interest in plant-based vaccines as an alternative to traditional animal-derived vaccines. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys and interviews with healthcare workers, alongside observational data collection in hospitals. There was a notable increase in the proportion of staff who reported receiving plant-based vaccine training from 30% in year one to 55% by year three, indicating improved knowledge and skills. The study found that while initial uptake was slow, significant progress has been made towards integrating plant-based vaccines into routine healthcare protocols. Further education programmes should be tailored to address staff concerns about vaccine efficacy and safety, thereby enhancing long-term adoption rates. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.