Willingness to Accept COVID-19 Vaccine among Anaesthetists in Nigeria

Background: Critical measures in the prevention and control of COVID-19 disease require health care professionals. This study aimed to assess the willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine among anaesthetists in Nigeria. 
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study involving the total population of anaesthetists in Nigeria was carried out with the use of self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0 statistical software. 
Results: A total of 195 respondents were assessed during this study. All of them were aware of COVID-19 disease, 119 (61%) had a good knowledge of COVID-19 disease while 57 (29.2%) and 19 (9.7%) had fair and poor knowledge, respectively. Over half of the respondents, 103 (52.8%) were willing to accept the vaccine. Predictors of willingness to accept the vaccine included being of the male gender (AOR=2.5, 95%CI=1.213-5.246, p=0.013), being from the South-west geopolitical zone (AOR=3.134, 95% CI= 1.353- 8.651, p=0.020) and having a good knowledge of the vaccine (AOR=14.910, 95%CI=6.114-36.359, p= <0.001). 
Conclusion: Slightly over half of the respondents were willing to accept COVID 19 vaccines. There is an urgent need for tertiary health institutions in Nigeria to sensitize anaesthetists especially the females on the need to accept the vaccine. 