Assessing the level and determinants of covid‐19 vaccine confidence in Kenya

The government of Kenya has launched a phased rollout of COVID‐19 vaccination. A major barrier is vaccine hesitancy; the refusal or delay of accepting vaccination. This study evaluated the level and determinants of vaccine hesitancy in Kenya. We conducted a cross‐sectional study administered through a phone‐based survey in February 2021 in four counties of Kenya. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify individual perceived risks and influences, con-text‐specific factors and vaccine‐specific issues associated with COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy in Kenya was high: 36.5%. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy included: Rural regions, perceived difficulty in adhering to government regulations on COVID‐19 prevention, no perceived COVID‐19 infection risk, concerns regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness, and religious and cultural reasons. There is a need for the prioritization of interventions to address vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccine confidence as part of the vaccine roll‐out plan. These messaging and/or interventions should be holistic to include the value of other public health measures, be focused and targeted to specific groups, raise awareness on the risks of COVID‐19 and effectively communicate the benefits and risks of vaccines.