CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND

Considering the inherent progresses made in the health and science fields, everyone would think that pandemics were left somewhere in the past. Even though we are facing epidemics like severe acute respiratory syndrome and the novel Influenza A/H1N1, these were limited and did not leave behind a high number of deaths (Worldmeters Info, 2020). At the end of 2019, a novel virus emerged in China, which put everything into a whole new perspective, since this virus spread all over the world and threatened the life of every human being. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory disease that is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV 2 (Mulu et al., 2020; Gorbalenya et al., 2020). The severity of symptomatic infections ranges from mild to critical. Approximately 80% of patients have mild symptoms, whereas less than 20% experience severe symptoms such as dyspnea and shock; respiratory failure occurs in less than 5% of patients. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a significant complication for COVID-19 patients; an estimated 20–41% of patients develop ARDS following a COVID-19 infection and require mechanical ventilation (Khan & Karatas, 2020). This characteristic of the disease can significantly increase the existing burden on healthcare facilities, and it requires extra resources, healthcare workers (HCWs) preparedness for preventive measures and appropriate management of infectious cases.

COVID-19 poses a higher risk for physicians and nurses who work in critical care, emergency medicine, infectious diseases, and pulmonary medicine departments. Personal protective equipment (PPE), proper handwashing, and hand hygiene are critical in decreasing the transmission and risk of infection of COVID-19 in hospitals. Therefore, adequate training of HCWs, knowledge acquisition on the prevention of COVID-19 most especially through vaccination, and resources are necessary to prevent hospital-acquired COVID-19 infections (WHO, 2020).

At present, global vaccine distribution remains highly unequal, with much of the current supply directed toward high-income countries (Wouters et al., 2021). Although effective and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is a key policy priority, ensuring health care workers preparedness for a COVID-19 vaccine and acceptance is just as important. Trust in vaccines as well as the institutions that administer them are key determinants of the success of any vaccination campaign (de Figueiredo et al., 2020). Several studies have investigated willingness to take a potential COVID-19 vaccine in high-income countries (IWEF, 2021; Malik et al., 2020), and some studies have included middle-income countries (Lazarus et al., 2021). Less is known, however, about vaccine acceptance in low-income countries where large-scale vaccination has yet to begin. Understanding the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is of global concern, because a lag in vaccination in any country may result in the emergence and spread of new variants that can overcome immunity conferred by vaccines and prior disease (Ong et al., 2021).

Although early detection and prevention of onward transmission significantly reduce the burden of COVID-19 (Gilbert et al., 2020; Kasahun et al., 2020), most African countries are less prepared for a COVID-19 vaccines and will continue even in the post-COVID 19 period. According to the WHO report, the number of COVID-19 cases will be increasing in the coming era, if not improving the level of preparedness of healthcare providers (Getaneh et al., 2020). Although efforts at various levels have attempted to improve the level of preparedness of healthcare providers worldwide to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the burden is unacceptably high (Ayenew, Yitayew, and Pandey, 2020) and data on healthcare workers preparedness on CIOVID-19 prevention is very limited (Mahmood et al., 2020).

In Cameroon and other African countries which are much less prepared for the effective point of entry, screening, monitoring of vacationers, and treatment in the case of the contagious virus. According to the WHO report, the number of COVID-19 cases will be increasing in the coming era, if not improving the level of preparedness of healthcare providers (Getaneh et al., 2020).

Less is known on healthcare workers preparedness for a COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the post-COVID period in Cameroon, where large-scale vaccination has yet to begin. This research will add to existing knowledge on the preparedness level of healthcare workers on COVID-19 prevention in the Post-COVID era at the PMI district hospital Limbe.

• STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

COVID-19 is highly contagious and healthcare workers are at a higher risk of contracting the disease since they are at the frontline in an effort to control and manage it. The creation of a COVID-19 vaccine was aimed at stopping the virus and managing its spread. However, healthcare workers preparedness and acceptance of the various vaccines has a problem in many third world countries during and possibly after the pandemic.

Healthcare workers have to be fully equipped to handle COVID-19 and the public has to be forthcoming with the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. However, in LMICs, this is not the case as healthcare workers are underprepared on COVID-19 and less is known, however, about vaccine acceptance in low-income countries where large-scale vaccination has yet to begin. This study seeks to evaluate healthcare workers’ preparedness for a COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine acceptance in this post-COVID-19 era at the PMI District Hospital Limbe.

• RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How are healthcare workers preparing in the prevention of COVID-19 disease in this post COVID-19 era, if there should be any re-emergence?
2. Do healthcare workers actually accept COVID-19 vaccines as the best option for COVID-19 prevention?
3. What proportion of healthcare workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 at the PMI Limbe?

• RESACRCH OBJECTIVES
  • General Objective

The main objectives of this study is to assess healthcare workers preparedness and acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine as the best option in the prevention of COVID-19 disease.

• Specific Objectives

We plan to achieve the following specific objectives;

• Assess healthcare workers preparedness in the prevention of COVID-19 disease in this post COVID-19 era, if there should be any re-emergence.
• Assess healthcare workers acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in the PMI hospital, Limbe
• Evaluate the proportion of HCWs vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine in PMI limbe