Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine among the Saudi Population

Abstract

To investigate the associated factors underlying vaccination intentions for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an online cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults 18 years or over in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between 8 and 14 December 2020. A logistic regression analysis was employed to examine and identify the variables associated with vaccination intentions for COVID-19, with the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) also calculated. A total of 2137 respondents completed the questionnaire. Overall, about 48% of Saudi adults were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants had stronger intentions to receive a vaccination if they resided in the southern region (OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.21–3.14), received the seasonal influenza vaccination in the past (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.17–1.97), believed in mandatory COVID-19 vaccination (OR: 45.07; 95% CI: 31.91–63.65), or reported high levels of concern about contracting COVID-19 (OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.29–2.81). Participants were less likely to have an intention to be vaccinated if they had a history of vaccine refusal (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.19–0.40). The low acceptance rate among the Saudi population should be targeted with multifaceted interventions aimed at raising awareness and emphasizing the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine and Its Associated Factors: “Vaccination Refusal Could Prolong the War of This Pandemic” – A Systematic Review

“… 21 Yoda & Katsuyama 60 2021 1100 Residents CS Japan 65.7% Age (≥70 years), residency (rural), having underlying medical conditions, and gender (male). 22 Zigron et al 62 2021 506 Dentists, dental residents, and oral medicine specialists CS Israel 85% Occupation (unemployment) 23 Abedin et al 63 2021 3646 Adults (≥18 years) CS Bangladesh 74.6% NA 24 Alfageeh et al 50 2021 2137 Adults (≥18 years) CS Saudi Arabia 48% Receiving the seasonal influenza vaccination in the past, believed in mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, and reported high levels of concern about contracting COVID-19. 25 Al-Mohaithef et al 51 2021 658 Adults (≥18 years) CS Saudi Arabia 53.3% High-risk perception, and higher trust in the healthcare system.…”

“…Furthermore, the study reported that factors such as perceived risk of COVID-19, 30 , 31 , 34 , 44 , 47 , 50 , 51 , 53 , 58 , 59 , 68–71 trust in healthcare system, 46 , 51 health insurance, 31 , 48 norms, 31 , 65 attitude towards a vaccine, 31 , 55 , 58 perceived benefit of vaccine, 31 , 40 , 46 , 65 , 70 perceived vaccine barriers, 31 , 40 , 70 self-efficacy, 31 up-to-date on vaccinations, 32 being tested for COVID-19 in the past, 32 , 72 responsibility, 39 perceived efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccination, 41 , 47 use of social media for COVID-19 vaccine-related information, 41 recommended for vaccination, 34 political leaning, 34 perceived severity of COVID-19, 34 , 44 , 46 , 70 , 74 perceived effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine, 34 , 43 , 59 , 61 belief that vaccination makes them feel less worried about COVID-19, 59 believing in mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, 50 perceived potential vaccine harms, 34 , 42 , 53 , 58 presence of chronic disease, 45 , 48 , 60 previously received an influenza vaccine, 43 , 45 , 47 <...>…”

“…The study design of all these studies were cross-sectional. Nine studies were done in the United States, [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] nine studies were done in China, [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] one study was done in Australia, 48 four studies were done in Saudi Arabia, [49][50][51][52] one study was done in Kuwait, 53 one study was done in England, 54 one study was done in Congo, 55 one study was done in Greece, 56 two studies were done in UK, 57,58 one study was done in Malaysia, 59 two studies were done in Japan, 60,61 one study was done in Israel, 62 one study was done in Bangladesh, 63 one study was done in Jordan, 64 one study was done in Iran, 65 one study was done in Italy, 66 one study was done in Ethiopia, 67 two studies were done in France, 68,69 one study was done in Vietnam, 70 one study was done in Uganda, 71 one study was done in Pakistan, 72 one study was done in Nigeria, 73 an...…”

Evaluation of Side Effects Associated with COVID-19 Vaccines in Saudi Arabia

“…Despite the availability of the vaccine for the population in Saudi Arabia, there is a variation in people’s acceptance to take the vaccine and this is probably due to the fact that these vaccines were developed in a short time compared to the previously approved vaccines which usually take years before approval. Another reason for this variation could be related to the usage of a newly emerging technique for some of the COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA vaccines [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. These two major factors may raise the concern among some individuals about potential severe post-vaccination side effects, although several reports describing the expected side effects have been issued recently [ 8 ].…”

Expert Consensus and Narrative Review on the Management of Multiple Sclerosis in the Arabian Gulf in the COVID-19 Era: Focus on Disease-Modifying Therapies and Vaccination Against COVID-19

“…Education of the public will be crucial to maximise uptake of vaccines against COVID-19. This includes healthcare professionals: a recent survey from Saudi Arabia found that half of a population of 763 “healthcare workers” (otherwise undefined) would not accept vaccination as soon as a vaccine became available [ 64 ], a proportion almost identical to that from the general population [ 65 ]. Perceived concerns over the level of demonstration of safety for the vaccines were important here.…”