Haiti has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world. As of fall 2022, only about 2.2 percent of the Haitian population was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and less than 3.4 percent had received a first dose of the vaccine. Low demand for the vaccine and widespread misinformation are impeding the progress of Haiti's vaccination program. Rumors, conspiracy theories, and fake news around COVID-19 – particularly on social media and in religious and entertainment communities – remain a significant challenge. As COVID-19 safety restrictions are lifted in other countries, Haitians interpret that news as a sign COVID-19 is no longer a health concern. Furthermore, the long-standing political and economic crises in the country are worsened with armed gang violence, kidnappings, and fuel shortages. These daily threats and vulnerabilities make getting a COVID-19 vaccine a low priority.
The Ministry of Public Health and Population is modifying the National Vaccine Deployment Plan for the fiscal year 2022-2023 with the goal to increase the national COVID-19 vaccine coverage to 20 percent within 12 months. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Public Health and Population will use a recovery strategy based on three axes: 1) a two-phase, large-scale COVID-19 vaccination campaign in all 10 departments, 2) gradual integration of the COVID-19 vaccine in all Extended Program Immunization institutions, and 3) strengthening health facilities that are providing COVID-19 vaccination services.
