ABSTRACT
Rates of Covid-19 vaccination are low and declining in Senegal, with fewer than 16% of the eligible population currently fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, novel malaria vaccines are scheduled to be released for use in children under the age of five this year. While vaccine hesitancy has contributed to low uptake of the Covid-19 vaccination, it is unclear the extent to which this can be attributed to the low perceived value/convenience of accessing the vaccine as opposed to more explicit refusal of available doses. This study aims to harness the acceptability and high uptake of routine childhood vaccinations administered through Senegal’s Expanded Programme on Immunization to test the impact of offering Covid-19 vaccination/boosters to mothers during regular well-child visits, randomizing messages designed to counter vaccine hesitancy, and bundling with offers of childhood vaccines. Through a cluster randomized control trial with health posts across regions of Senegal, along with formative focus group interviews and discussions with mothers and stakeholders in the Ministry of Health, we aim to develop sustainable and affordable evidence-based interventions that may scale up to the national level and improve our knowledge of the acceptability of Covid-19 and childhood vaccines in Senegal.
