Authors Contributions:

Conceptualization: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Allain Djam, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Odile Nwongo

Data curation: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Allain Djam, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Mary Chia-Garba, Gladys K. Wepnyu, Carine K. Nfor, Kenedy Abendong, Florence T. Manjong, Derick Awambeng, Odile Nwongo

Formal Analysis: Kenric B. Ware, Marcelus U. Ajonina

Funding investigation: N/A

Investigation: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Mary Chia-Garba, Odile Nwongo

Methodology: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Allain Djam, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Elvis A. Akomoneh, Mary Chia-Garba

Project administration: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Kenedy Abendong, Florence T. Manjong, Derick Awambeng

Software: Kenric B. Ware, Marcelus U. Ajonina

Validation: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Kenric B. Ware, Elvis A. Akomoneh

Roles/writing-original draft: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Kenric B. Ware, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Elvis A. Akomoneh

Writing-review and editing: Marcelus U. Ajonina, Kenric B. Ware, Irene U Ajonina-Ekoti, Elvis A. Akomoneh, Mary Chia-Garba

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

The authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest or financial relationships.

Previous presentations of work: None

Key Points

Background

• Widespread theories exist about COVID-19’s conception and rationales for why some people are averse to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

• African countries have reported increasing distrust of COVID-19 vaccines and skepticism about COVID-19’s beginnings. Initial findings from Cameroon have documented COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults.

• Less attention has been devoted to perceptions of targeted Cameroonian subgroups such as faculty, staff, students, and employees affiliated with university settings.

Findings

• Cameroonians queried in this study were mostly convinced that COVID-19 arose from man-made as opposed to natural origins.

• This sample of Cameroonians mainly opposed governmental mandates on COVID-19 vaccinations and primarily expressed refusal of a COVID-19 vaccine, if offered.