Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Comparison Study between Makerere University Medical Students and Katanga Slum Residents, in Uganda

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges on global health systems. COVID-19 vaccines emerged crucial in curbing its spread. Existing studies on KAP among medical students and slum community residents revealed mixed findings, with knowledge gaps, misconceptions, and barriers to vaccine acceptance. Understanding KAP of vaccine uptake is essential for effective public health strategies. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to COVID-19 vaccine among medical students and residents of Katanga slum in Uganda. Method: Cross-sectional study done in Katanga community & Makerere University Medical School employing a quantitative method with interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. A p-value of <0.05 at multivariable logistic regression was considered statistically significant and the presence of association was described by using odds ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: In this study, 384 participants were enrolled. The average age of participants was 26.68 ± 7.5 years. Common sources of COVID-19 vaccine information were television (31.25%) and social media (17.19%). The overall knowledge of participants was good in only 39.84%, secondary to family history of COVID-19 infection and COVID training. Attitude towards the vaccine was poor in 67.27% of participants. Joint family setting (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI (1.43 - 3.73) p < 0.001) and having family members with suspected COVID-19 symptoms (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI (1.08 - 3.54) p < 0.026) were associated with poor attitude. The prevalence of poor practice towards vaccination was 36.72. Barriers to vaccination included scary information from media/friends/family and concerns over side effects and the effectiveness of the vaccine. Conclusion: The study highlights the critical role of knowledge in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. However, negative attitudes were expressed by a significant proportion, including medical students despite their good knowledge. Only one-third demonstrated good vaccination practices. Tailored interventions are key to increasing positive attitudes, vaccination uptake, and coverage by addressing unique factors driving vaccine hesitancy in each population. Knowledge and awareness can be enhanced by dispelling myths with accurate language, and easy-to-understand language for populations with lower educational achievements through vaccination campaigns.