Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025443 (Oral 114) | Published: 16 Aug 2025
Ekaete Alice Tobin1,2,3,4,&, Ester Orban5,6,7, Lars Korn8,9, Amen Onome Ahabue10, Martha Okonofua3, Joseph Okoeguale1,11, Till Omansen5,7,6 , Reuben Agbons Eifediyi1,11
1Institute of Viral and Emergent Pathogens Control and Research, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 2Department of Community Medicine, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria, 3Department of Community Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua. Nigeria, 4Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, 5Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine &. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, 6Department of Virology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany, 7German Center for Infection Research, Partner Sites Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany, 8Health Communication, Implementation Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany, 9Health Communication, Institute for Planetary Health Behavior, University of Erfurt, Germany, 10Department of English, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, 11Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State
&Corresponding author: Ekaete A. Tobin, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Nigeria, Email: Ekaete.tobin@gmail.com
Received: 11 Jun 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 16 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Acceptability, Lassa fever, Vaccine, Health workers
©Ekaete Alice Tobin et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Ekaete Alice Tobin et al., Vaccination intentions, readiness, and preferred attributes of a future Lassa fever vaccine among staff at a tertiary hospital in Edo State, Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00114. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00114
Lassa fever (LF), a viral hemorrhagic illness endemic to West Africa, poses significant risks to healthcare workers (HCWs) due to occupational exposure. Nigeria bears the highest LF burden, making HCWs a priority group for vaccination. However, vaccine hesitancy may undermine uptake. This study assessed readiness, intention, and product preferences regarding a future LF vaccine among staff at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to May 2025 among clinical and non-clinical staff, selected through multistage sampling to ensure departmental representation. Ethical approval was obtained, and interviewer-administered questionnaires collected data on demographics, risk perception, vaccine intention, preferred vaccine characteristics, and the 7C vaccination readiness scale. Primary outcomes were readiness and intention to vaccinate.
A total of 485 staff participated (median age: 41 years; IQR: 35–48), with 52.0% female. The mean 7C vaccination readiness score was 3.35 (SD: 0.42) on a 5-point scale. Overall, 70.1% indicated willingness to accept an LF vaccine, with the highest intention among nurses (81.9%). Intention declined slightly with age. Higher readiness, lower complacency, stronger compliance, and weaker belief in conspiracies were associated with increased intention. Over half preferred vaccines with at least 80% effectiveness. Multidose schedules and lack of lifetime protection reduced acceptability. Oral vaccines were preferred over injectables. Free vaccine access was a major concern. Trusted recommendation sources included doctors, the WHO, and NCDC.
LF vaccine roll-out among hospital staff will require strategies that reduce complacency, ensure free and equitable access, and secure endorsements from trusted health authorities. Additionally, aligning vaccine characteristics and messaging with staff preferences will be critical for optimal uptake.
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