36

The polio vaccination campaigns in Labé, Guinea did not really take account of the motivations and perceptions of the populations concerned. The present article examines the factors determining the acceptability of anti-polio vaccination in the urban district of Labé (Republic of Guinea). A qualitative analysis of the experiences of the populations eligible for this vaccination was carried out on 74 individual interviews and 4 focus groups. The study provides evidence that acceptability was strongly linked to the populations’ past experiences and to the circulation of certain rumours, and changing perceptions towards the vaccine, the vaccination campaign and the people involved. Thus the acceptability of the anti-polio vaccination in the urban district of Labé is complex given the variety of social, historical, organisational and strategic factors that come in to play.