Knowledge, attitude, and practice of taking the pneumonia vaccine among adults in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia has been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates; it could be prevented or reduced by vaccination. Objectives: To assess the knowledge attitude and practice (KAP) of Saudi adults toward pneumococcal vaccine commitment and benefits. Methods: This was a qualitative cross-sectional study that was conducted electronically from April to August 2021 among the general population in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to elaborate people\'s awareness about the importance of pneumococcal vaccine. Results: The study included 13,280 participants. The level of knowledge regarding pneumococcal vaccine was poor among 65.7%, moderate among 24.6% and good among 9.7% participants, while the attitude was positive among more than half of the participants, neutral among 32.2%, and negative among 9.1%. The level of practice was wrong among 43.7%, right among 31.1%, and not complete among 25.2%. The good KAP levels were significantly associated with adult males who had high educational degree and work as healthcare professionals. Conclusion: The study showed poor knowledge among most of the participants with positive attitude toward practicing pneumococcal vaccine. The poor knowledge about the essential value of pneumonia vaccine as well as lack of advice by health care providers need to be addressed in the national program for pneumonia vaccine.

Identifying gaps in vaccination perception after mandating the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia

“…Our study found that only 18% of participants had a good level of knowledge regarding pneumococcal vaccines, however, a positive attitude was observed towards the pneumococcal vaccine, with 65.2% of participants willing to take the vaccine. These results were consistent with those reported from previous studies conducted in Saudi Arabia in the pre-COVID-19 era [8] , [22] , [23] . A cross-sectional study by Alhomayani and colleagues [22] in Taif city showed that most participants (82%) had a low level of knowledge, and a positive attitude (over 50%) towards pneumococcal vaccines.…”

“…Furthermore, another study conducted in Jeddah showed a high positive attitude toward pneumococcal vaccines despite the low level of knowledge among older adults [23] . A recent study published in 2022 by Alharbi et al found similar results to our study regarding the poor knowledge and positive attitude towards pneumococcal vaccine among most of the participants [8] . Moreover, our study showed that non-Saudi residents are more knowledgeable about pneumococcal vaccines compared to Saudi citizens.…”

“…On the other hand, the WHO and CDC strongly recommend all healthcare workers to be vaccinated against influenza [3] , [20] . In our study, healthcare providers were more aware of the efficacy of the influenza vaccine compared to non-healthcare workers, which could be attributed to their profession and vaccination requirements by some employers in Saudi Arabia [8] . This is also supported by another national study which showed a positive attitude of healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia towards influenza vaccine [21] .…”

“…Several factors could attribute why individuals with higher education levels and non-Saudi residents tend to have more knowleadge about vaccines. Individuals who have attained higher levels of education typically possess better health literacy and are more likely to have access to trustworthy sources of information [8] . Additionally, non-Saudi residents have a higher tendency to speak English and hold postgraduate degrees compared to Saudi citizens, which enables them to comprehend health-related information, thereby empowering them to make informed decisions.…”

“…Despite the success of vaccination in preventing lethal diseases, vaccine awareness, knowledge, and acceptance levels remain low [5] . Several studies conducted in Saudi Arabia prior to the COVID-19 pandemic showed that the knowledge of vaccinations among the Saudi population was relatively poor, ranging between 20-40% [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] . However, currently, no studies have assessed the public's perception of recommended vaccinations after mandating the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic, especially as imminzations are nationally funded by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health for eligible citizens and residents.…”