Announcement

CCHE Seminar Series: Perception and Attitudes towards Vaccination against COVID-19: Evidence from Bangladesh

Mofakhar Hussain
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, University of Toronto

Friday October 8, 2021, 10am-12pm, Zoom

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedent impact on all countries and there is strong consensus that mass vaccination of adult population is a priority. While global efforts have succeeded in developing multiple vaccines, supply to developing countries and operational considerations remain a challenge. For Bangladesh, universal adult vaccination campaign poses challenges in multiple categories, primary among them is willingness of target population to participate in such a campaign. In order to understand such willingness and potential changes in perception after launch of the vaccination program, this study reports results of two sequential surveys, one taken before and a second one taken 2 weeks after the launch of the vaccination program in Bangladesh. The pre-campaign results provide evidence that vaccination willingness is high although eagerness to be vaccinated immediately remain low. The post-campaign results show decline in support. Pathways of the changes in perception are discussed. Using a health belief model, survey instruments provide insights into respondent’s awareness about COVID-19 and willingness to pay for vaccination against the disease.

Supplemental: A third survey was carried out in September, 2021, after 2 significant waves of COVID-19 in the country; results of the survey are being tabulated and will be reported later.

Co-authors: Shafiun Shimul2, Dr. Abul Jamil Faisel3, Syed Abdul Hamid2, Nasrin Sultana2, Sirajul Islam Milon2, Muhammad Ihsan- Ul- Kabir2, Mofakhar Hussain1

1: University of Toronto, 2: Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University, Bangladesh, 3: Public Health Advisor, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh;4: James Cook University, Australia, 5: University of Oxford, UK

Mofakhar Hussain obtained a PhD in health economics from the Graduate Center, City University of New York in 1997. After working in the credit card and health insurance industry in the US, he joined as a Senior Economist at the Ministry of Health, Government of Ontario, Canada in 2005. Since 2015, Mofakhar has also been Adjunct Lecturer at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto where his research interests are pharmaceutical policy and health economics in developing countries.