COMMUNITY PERCEPTION REGARDING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS A CROSS- SECTIONAL STUDY IN MOGADISHU-SOMALIA

Vaccine hesitancy could threaten global public health since there has been an unprecedented global effort to produce a vaccine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of this communicable disease has affected the population of many families and has also disrupted the economy and development of the nation.

The main objective of this study is to assess the community perception regarding COVID-19 vaccination—a cross-sectional study in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. The study will apply a descriptive research method with a specific cross-sectional survey using the community's designed questionnaires. This study was conducted in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, and the target population was 300 participants.

The results show that 83.7% of the respondents know the COVID-19 vaccine. 70.6% of the respondents know about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. 72.3% of the respondents believe it's dangerous to get vaccinated. 75.1% of the respondents are unsure if the vaccination can cause an allergic reaction. Ninety-seven respondents (40.8%) agreed that the newly discovered COVID-19 vaccine is safe. The current study provided a thorough review of the community perception in relation to COVID-19 vaccinations. According to the results, Somalis have an adequate degree of knowledge and awareness on COVID-19 and are generally optimistic about eradicating the pandemic.

Keywords: Coronavirus, Knowledge, Attitude, Community perception, COVID-19 vaccine