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

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.