Fighting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Africa: Reflections of Journalistic Attitudes in Coverage

On February 24, 2021, Ghana became the first country in Africa to receive a shipment of COVID-19 vaccinations (United Nations 2021). However, the country is still facing low COVID-19 vaccination rates and significant vaccine hesitancy. By October 2022, only a little over a third of its population received at least one dose. These rates reflect a significant health disparity, as Africa remains the continent with the slowest COVID-19 vaccination rates, with only 29.8 percent of the population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine (Brackstone et al. 2022). These low vaccination rates partially stem from a widespread COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, largely due to low COVID19-induced death rates, sociocultural and individual factors, and conspiracies about attempts to use the vaccines to wipe out Africans (Machingaidze and Wiysonge 2021). Earlier data from the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least a 20 percent rate of hesitancy across the continent (CDC 2020). This rate has likely risen due to rampant spread of misinformation via social media (Wiysonge et al. 2022). In Ghana, for example, there is evidence to suggest high vaccine hesitancy. While some Ghanaians doubt the existence of the virus, others believe it only affects the middle and uppermiddle classes (Koram 2021). Calls by public health experts and government officials for increased media campaigns in support of COVID-19 vaccines demonstrate the urgency of countering hesitancy (GNA 2021).