Assessing the public perceptions around covid-19 vaccine within the University of Eldoret community using WhatsApp focus groups.

Infection caused by viruses can only be eradicated through the formulation of a vaccine that primes the body to fight the virus. No recent study exists on the attitudes and perceptions of students on the COVID-19 vaccine. Without information on the prevailing COVID-19 vaccine, set objectives towards the realization of a healthy nation will be unmet. The current research employed an exploratory survey design. The study mostly used stratified random sampling. Different age groups were sampled. Online questionnaires were administered through Whatsapp social media platforms. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and excel 2013 spreadsheet. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The majority of respondents were male (63.0%) and female (37.0%). The total number of respondents who were willing to take up the Covid-19 Vaccine was 84 of which 33 were females (16.5%) and males were 51(25.5%). In vaccine knowledge 110 (56.0%) of responses were positive which indicated most respondents knew about the vaccine center while 85 (44.0%) of the respondents did not know about Vaccine centers. Respondents who answered the online questionnaire demonstrated their knowledge of vaccines. Both males and females who total 160 (80%) knew the importance of a vaccine while 23 (11.5%) clearly acknowledge they had no idea of the role a vaccine plays, 12 (6%) were uncertain about the issue of vaccines. The 5 respondents (2.5%), did not answer the question on knowledge of vaccines. A large significant population fully trusted the pharmaceutical in vaccine production. Only 173 (86.5%) had not been vaccinated while 23 (11.5%) had been vaccinated. The responses showed that 44(22.0%) respondents had indeed been influenced by their religious leaders not to be vaccinated, 77(38.5%) maintained that their religious leaders entirely let them make a decision of whether to take the Vaccine or deal away with it. 40 (23.0%) respondents agreed to conspiracies revolving around Covid 19. Research recommends developing social-media platforms that would ensure education on vaccination and immunization within the population. Educating both genders with emphasis on females to impact them with the necessary knowledge on vaccines.