ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR POST-PANDEMIC ASSESSMENT OF COVID- 19 VACCINATION UPTAKES IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

Vaccination is aimed at averting the spread of COVID-19, but complications like vaccine hesitancy and resistance continue to arise, particularly in low-middle-income countries (LMIC) like Nigeria. This study examines factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy and the effectiveness of various communication strategies intended to promote vaccination. Through questionnaires distributed across four institutions in Kwara state, 201 participants were recruited. Most of the responded were between age 26-40 years where 95% were students, thus emphasizing the focus of the study on the student population. A smaller proportion consists of lecturers (3%) and non-teaching staff (2%). Females accounted for 58.2% while males had 41.8% of the population, indicating a relatively balanced gender representation within the study. The survey showed that only 42.7% received the COVID-19 vaccine, of these vaccinated participants, 53.4% received up to the second dose. While only 10.5% of participants had been fully immunized (AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson and Johnson). The most recurrent factors affecting the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among vaccine recipients were Friends and families (58.1%), Social media (5.1%), Personal decision (34.9%), Work (5.8%), The study found that the p-value, for significance regarding the factors influencing vaccination uptake is below 0.05. This suggests that the connections between the variables examined (like awareness, perception, and readiness to get the COVID-19 vaccine) and vaccination uptake are statistically significant, at a 5% level of significance. In addition, a predictive model was created with the help of machine learning techniques to predict vaccination trends, with precision pinpointing specific areas that require focused interventions. The research highlights the importance of public education and the promising role that artificial intelligence can play in improving vaccination strategies and overall public health results.