The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination psychological antecedent assessment using the Arabic 5c validated tool: An online survey in 13 Arab countries

Abstract

Background Following the emergency approval of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, research into its vaccination hesitancy saw a substantial increase. However, the psychological behaviors associated with this hesitancy are still not completely understood. This study assessed the psychological antecedents associated with COVID-19 vaccination in the Arab population. Methodology The validated Arabic version of the 5C questionnaire was distributed online across various social media platforms in Arabic-speaking countries. The questionnaire had three sections, namely, socio-demographics, COVID-19 related infection and vaccination, and the 5C scale of vaccine psychological antecedents of confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility. Results In total, 4,474 participants with a mean age of 32.48 ± 10.76 from 13 Arab countries made up the final sample, 40.8% of whom were male. Around 26.7% of the participants were found to be confident about the COVID-19 vaccination, 10.7% indicated complacency, 96.5% indicated they had no constraints, 48.8% had a preference for calculation and 40.4% indicated they had collective responsibility. The 5C antecedents varied across the studied countries with the confidence and collective responsibility being the highest in the United Arab Emirates (59.0% and 58.0%, respectively), complacency and constraints in Morocco (21.0% and 7.0%, respectively) and calculation in Sudan (60.0%). The regression analyses revealed that sex, age, educational degrees, being a health care professional, history of COVID-19 infection and having a relative infected or died from COVID-19 significantly predicted the 5C psychological antecedents by different degrees. Conclusion There are wide psychological antecedent variations between Arab countries, and different determinants can have a profound effect on the COVID-19 vaccine’s psychological antecedents.

Efficacy and Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…List of papers rejected and causes of rejection are provided as Supplementary Table S2 . References [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ] are cited in Supplementary Materials .…”

“…Although some of the vaccines were approved for emergency use by the FDA in the USA and the respective health departments of other countries across the world, the efficacy and effectiveness should be periodically assessed due to the ongoing antigenic drift. It is worth noting that while vaccinations are still being administered worldwide, the vaccinated population (received at least one dose of vaccine) represents around three-fifth of the entire population [ 59 ], with safety and effectiveness representing the main concern and points of hesitation for many people [ 25 ]. Another main concern affecting vaccination coverage is COVID-19 vaccine inequity; vaccine supply will have a long-term and severe impact on socioeconomic recovery in low-and lower-middle-income countries (LMIC) unless immediate action is taken to increase supply and provide equal access for all countries.…”

“…The major determinants of vaccine acceptance are vaccine safety and efficacy [ 25 ]. Most COVID-19 vaccines have mild side effects, such as pain at the site of injection, tiredness, headache, fever, or shivering for 1–2 days after vaccination.…”

A Meta-Analysis on the Safety and Immunogenicity of Covid-19 Vaccines

“…This study provides empirical evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines, and this is crucial as demonstrating the safety and benefits of COVID-19 vaccines is critical to enhance public trust in COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in countries with high rates of vaccine hesitancy. 24 , 50 Moreover, results from this analysis will provide information about the number of days required for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies developed from the sequential immunization strategy. Information on the duration of the development of the commonly reported vaccine adverse effects across various vaccine technology platforms.…”

“…Studies on vaccine hesitancy found that the refusal or delaying the vaccination was affected by the population’s trust in the safety and efficacy of vaccines. 24 …”