Prevalence, Clinical Profile and Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infection in Douala, Cameroon

Abstract

Background and Objective: Vaccination is the most cost-effective public health intervention to control diseases such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.This study aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical profile and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination uptake and SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Douala, Cameroon from January, to September, 2022.A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, anthropometric and clinical data of participants during individual interviews.Additionally, findings on COVID-19 vaccination and RT-qPCR based SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing of fully COVID-19 vaccinated patients from medical records.Statistical analyses were performed using StatView, SPSS and GraphPad software.The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: The overall prevalence of COVID-19 vaccination uptake was 18.6%.The prevalence of cough (p = 0.01) and sore throat (p = 0.03) was higher in unvaccinated patients.The chances of getting vaccinated were increased in those with higher education, elderly people and those with a history of COVID-19 infection.Vaccine breakthrough infections were found at a prevalence of 5.41% and were mainly seen in elderly patients with comorbidities (obesity, hypertension).Conclusion: There is a need for adequately tailored information campaigns to sensitize Cameroonian populations on the positive impact of COVID-19 vaccination, especially those with low levels of education.