Abstract
COVID-19 is a pandemic disease that has caused thousands of deaths globally. The emergence of COVID-19 has devastated global health systems with a ripple impact on every aspect of human life. With no proven treatment or medicines found, governments worldwide imposed border closures, travel bans and quarantines to halt the spread of the virus that caused a voluminous economic downturn (Mahmud, Mohsin, Khan, Mian & Zaman, 2021).
There has been fake news around the world about the disease, leading to negative attitudes due to a lack of knowledge towards the COVID-19 infection. This study focused on the relationship between the knowledge, experiences, and attitudes towards COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine and the number of cases of COVID-19 in the Leribe district of Lesotho. The target group for this study was the healthcare workers in this district. Though the study had limitations, it provided some information on knowledge, experience, and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine, which the Ministry of Health may use to improve health services towards public health issues. Data from this study provided some insights into the measured variables amongst the healthcare professionals in Lesotho. In summary, while knowledge, brand awareness, and perceived information adequacy are potent influencers of vaccine confidence, they should be coupled with authentic, transparent, and actionable insights to mould public opinion constructively. The outcome of this study will assist the Lesotho Ministry of Health in recommended collaboration with other government ministries, such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education and even the Lesotho Church Council, to develop teaching campaigns to enhance continuous and thorough education regarding COVID-19 infection, the vaccine, and the preventative measures.