Public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among residents of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional online study

Abstract

ObjectivesThe acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine is essential for protecting the world population and stopping the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aimed to measure public acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors that may play an important role in increasing the acceptance of vaccinations in future pandemics.DesignA cross-sectional, observational study was conducted through a survey designed using the Google Forms platform. In this study, a logistic regression analysis was used to study and detect the variables linked to the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. To meet inclusion criteria, participants had to be 18 years or older at the time of collecting the data, reside in Saudi Arabia at the time of the survey, agree to the consent form and be able to complete the survey in Arabic.SettingRandomly selected residents of Saudi Arabia.Number of participants1658.ResultsIn general, the population of Saudi Arabia is supportive of the COVID-19 vaccine (72.0%) and has one of the highest acceptance rates, according to global studies. We found that men (OR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.97) were less likely to hesitate with regard to taking the vaccine, whereas previously infected individuals were more likely to hesitate (OR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.25 to 2.50). Those with a lower monthly income (<3000 Saudi riyal) were more likely to refuse the vaccine (OR 3.54; 95% CI: 1.81 to 6.91), while those living in cities (OR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39 to 0.99) and the unemployed (OR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.83) were less likely to refuse it. Participants’ history of viral infection and trust in the healthcare system were found to be important factors in the public’s acceptance of the vaccine.ConclusionIn general, acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination is high in Saudi Arabia. Several factors have shown a method for predicting those who might reject the vaccine or hesitate to take it; thus, the healthcare system should target those residents throughout the campaign. Based on the conclusions of the current research, the acceptance of vaccinations could be increased.

Booster Dose Vaccination and Dynamics of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Fifth Wave: An Efficient and Simple Mathematical Model for Disease Progression

“…Over 10 billion doses have been delivered worldwide [ 7 ]. However, in low-income countries, the vaccination rate remains very low, and some people continue to doubt the benefits and effectiveness of vaccines [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Because of these issues, independent studies are specifically designed to offer evidence of the usefulness of vaccination programs.…”

Hesitancy toward vaccination against COVID-19: A scoping review of prevalence and associated factors in the Arab world

“…Hesitancy levels ranged from as high as 83.0% in a large multinational survey of 22 Arab countries 82 to just 5.4% among the general population in Saudi Arabia. 130 Some articles included studies focused on the attitude toward vaccination and did not report data about the hesitancy rates 26 , 56 , 57 , 85 ( Tables 2 and 3 ). Reported VH ranged between 12%-83% for general population, 14%-79% for HCWs, 20.1%-49.1% for pregnant and lactating mothers, 13%-65.1% for students, 10.4%-75.6% for refugees, 45% for cancer patients and 37–63.8% for patients suffering from chronic diseases.…”

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of the Saudi population toward COVID-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study

“…Several studies show that the population knowledge and acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is affected by socio-demographic characteristics. [12][13][14] Similar studies were conducted to measure public knowledge and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines targeting specific cities or regions in the Kingdom. [15,16] This, however, is a cross-sectional study to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the population in all geographical regions of Saudi Arabia towards COVID-19 vaccination.…”