Roundtable Discussion: Community understanding and trust as key drivers for vaccinations in Africa

Trust is a key component of the successful roll-out of any vaccination program. Yet, trust building and acceptance around vaccines, and COVID-19 vaccines in particular, remain an under-explored area. And when explored these exercises often lack a focus on people and community – the human element. There is merit in changing the way the world thinks about vaccine acceptance in Africa. As Director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, has made a call to action: “Let’s find out what is the wall between us and the communities, and how we bridge the trust gap”. This roundtable discussion contemplates the development of a trust framework, how actors and institutions, national governments as well as local organizations, would utilize this framework and how it would impact their success in achieving equitable vaccine delivery and uptake in the future.