Determinants of COVID‐19 Vaccination Status and Vaccine Hesitancy in the Centre‐Est Region of Burkina Faso: A Population‐Based Cross‐Sectional Study

Background: Many countries, such as Burkina Faso, have implemented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccination campaigns to control the pandemic. Understanding vaccination‐related behavior, particularly in rural areas, might help address this goal by increasing vaccine coverage. Our study aimed to evaluate COVID‐19 vaccination status and the vaccination hesitancy rate and identify their associated factors among the population of the Centre‐Est Region of Burkina Faso. Methods: A population‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted in the Centre‐Est Region, which is one of the 13 regions of Burkina Faso. A random three‐stage sampling design was used to select participants in their household between March 19 and March 31, 2022. To identify the factors associated with COVID‐19 vaccination status and vaccination hesitancy, we performed a modified Poisson regression. Results: A total of 1199 participants were included in the study. Females represented 52.1% of the sample, and the mean age was 37.5 years, with a standard deviation of 15.83 years. The majority (95.7%) of the participants had already heard of the vaccination. Radio was the main source of information (35.8%) about COVID‐19 vaccination. The COVID‐19 vaccination rate was 41.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 38.9–44.4). The main determinants of vaccination status were being male, being married, living in rural areas, and having good knowledge of COVID‐19 prevention measures. Among the unvaccinated individuals, the COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy rate was 65.7% (95% CI: 62.1–69.1). With a rate of 79.5%, fear of side effects was the main reason for COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. The determinants of lower rate of COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy were being rural areas resident (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]: 0.82 [95% CI: 0.72–0.94]), being female (aPR: 0.86 [95% CI: 0.74–0.99]), having good knowledge about COVID‐19 prevention measures (aPR: 0.87 [95% CI: 0.78–0.97]), and being a farmer. Conclusion: Our study revealed a lower COVID‐19 vaccine rate and a higher vaccine hesitancy rate in the Centre‐Est Region of Burkina Faso. Improving communication about COVID‐19 preventive measures might increase adherence to COVID‐19 vaccination.