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Vaccines
Special Issues
Understanding Infectious Disease Vaccinations: Implications for Health and Safety
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Understanding Infectious Disease Vaccinations: Implications for Health and Safety

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Vaccines and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 604

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Interests: mental health; psychopathology; psychometrics; interventions; COVID-19 issues
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we aim to examine the perceptions and information on infectious diseases and vaccinations, specifically focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to a fundamental shift in public perception of infectious diseases, emphasizing the critical role of vaccines and public health measures in preventing widespread illness and death. By examining how public knowledge and attitudes have evolved during and after the pandemic, we hope to uncover the underlying factors influencing public understanding and acceptance of vaccines. This Special Issue will explore the role of health communication, misinformation, and cultural beliefs, providing insights into the successes and challenges encountered during COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. We aim to identify strategies for improving public health responses, building vaccine trust, and enhancing preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.

We welcome original research articles and reviews in various research areas, including the following:

  1. Public Knowledge and Awareness of Infectious Diseases;
  2. Viewpoints and Perceptions Toward Vaccine Development;
  3. Misinformation and Disinformation in Shaping Attitudes and Behaviors Associated with Vaccination;
  4. Strategies to Improve Vaccine Uptake and Adherence;
  5. Communication Strategies to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Promote Vaccination.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vaccination
  • infectious disease
  • health
  • wellbeing
  • knowledge
  • attitudes

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 3094 KiB  
Article
The COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout in Tanzania: The Role of Coordination in Its Success
by Fredrick Rwegerera, Mwendwa Mwenesi, Belinda J. Njiro, Florian Tinuga, Pricilla Kinyunyi, Mary Rose Giattas, Alice Christensen, Ntuli Kapologwe, Adam Meshack, Joseline Ishengoma, Sophia A. Kagoye, Mwinyi I. Msellem, Mwanahamisi Hassan Magwangwala, Fatma Mohammed Kabole, Daniel Ali and Chizoba Wonodi
Vaccines 2025, 13(5), 484; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13050484 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 242
Abstract
Background: The national rollout of a vaccine is a complex and significant undertaking, made more challenging when the health system is experiencing shock, such as in a pandemic. Tanzania had relative success in its COVID-19 vaccination rollout compared to other African countries. [...] Read more.
Background: The national rollout of a vaccine is a complex and significant undertaking, made more challenging when the health system is experiencing shock, such as in a pandemic. Tanzania had relative success in its COVID-19 vaccination rollout compared to other African countries. Objectives: To better understand factors that contributed to this success, we examined the role of coordination (one of the six immunization system building blocks) on the outcomes of the national vaccine rollout. Methods: We obtained qualitative information from the published literature, COVID-19 vaccination program documents for Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, and reports from two documentation workshops with national, regional, and district stakeholders from the government, partners, academia, and civil society. Triangulating this information, we describe the COVID-19 vaccination coordination structure, the roles and responsibilities of its members, and the changes in their engagement and activities over the 18 months following the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine. We also obtained quantitative data from the CHANJOCOVID system to analyze time trends in national COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates for the period August 2021 to December 2022. Results: We found that Tanzania had a multi-level, multi-partner integrated coordination mechanism that provided strategic direction, oversight, and guidance for the vaccination rollout. The coordination structure was initially weak but strengthened over time. Based on the level of coordination activities undertaken, we identified three periods marking different strengths of the coordination mechanisms, these corresponded with different trends in vaccination coverage in the mainland. In the first period (July–December 2021), the coordination mechanism was weak, and vaccine coverage was low, with only 3% of the target population vaccinated on the mainland. In the second period (January–May 2022), when stakeholder engagement was expanded and the coordination mechanism improved, there was a concurrent rise in vaccine coverage from 4% to 25%. In the third period (June–December 2022), coordination was further strengthened, and vaccination strategies were intensified; a corresponding increase in vaccine uptake was observed with coverage reaching 100% of the target population. Conclusions: Qualitative insights from the three time periods suggest a positive association between coordination strength and COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Coordination fostered collaboration, enhanced stakeholder engagement, and facilitated data-driven decision making. This enabled Tanzania to overcome complex challenges and achieve significant progress in vaccination coverage. Strong coordination and effective collaboration among stakeholders are essential mechanisms and processes to optimize vaccine delivery resources and ensure the equitable distribution and uptake of vaccines in Tanzania. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding Infectious Disease Vaccinations: Implications for Health and Safety)
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