COVID-19 Vaccination in the Gaza Strip: A Crosssectional Study of Vaccine Coverage, Hesitancy, and Associated Risk Factors Among Community Members and Healthcare Workers

In October 2021, International Medical Corps conducted a household survey to assess COVID-19 vaccination, specifically the percentage of the population vaccinated and vaccine hesitant. The study was a collaboration between International Medical Corps’ Gaza country office, HQ and a consultant epidemiologist from Al-Azhar University. The study found 49% of adults had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and one-third of adults were vaccine hesitant. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education level and source of information on vaccines were statistically linked to people’s likelihood of being vaccinated or vaccine hesitant. The survey helped inform International Medical Corps’ activities under a USAID-funded project on COVID-19 response, which included community outreach to promote vaccination. The USAID project launched in October 2021 and concluded in April 2023. A follow-up survey on COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine hesitancy was conducted in March 2023. The data are still being analyzed, but preliminary results suggest there has been a moderate increase in vaccine uptake and decline in vaccine hesitancy during the period of the project. International Medical Corps plans to publish a new article with findings from an in-depth analysis of these changes, examining the potential role of the project interventions.