Abstract

Celenkosini Thembelenkosini Nxumalo41751, Ebenezer Wiafe41752* and Varsha Bangalee41753

Purpose: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a type of respiratory illness that has spread rapidly around the world contributing to high levels of mortality and morbidity which has subsequently led to poor quality of life. COVID-19 vaccines are presently a key biomedical preventive intervention in the present pandemic. Research on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines suggests that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a major threat to the success of this present intervention. This scoping review protocol is designed to guide the synthesis of evidence on the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Method: The methodological framework recommended by Arksey and O’Malley guided the development of the scoping review protocol. A comprehensive search of published and unpublished literature on the topic will be conducted through a search of electronic databases namely; PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL via EBSCO host, Sabinet, Cochrane library, and Web of Science. Extracted data will be analyzed thematically and presented as a narrative.

Conclusion: This scoping review will provide synthesized evidence on the prevalence and determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of the review are anticipated to provide evidence to inform interventions to promote acceptability and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa.