Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: With the help of vaccines, the world has witnessed a substantial decrease and even the eradication of many infectious diseases. Many factors influenced the public’s acceptance and compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi A...

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Main Authors: EL Walid EL Hassan, Amal Khaleel Abu Alhommos, Dalal Aliadhy, Shaima Alsalman, Ohoud Alnafaa, Ahmed Mohamed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/5/853
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author EL Walid EL Hassan
Amal Khaleel Abu Alhommos
Dalal Aliadhy
Shaima Alsalman
Ohoud Alnafaa
Ahmed Mohamed
author_facet EL Walid EL Hassan
Amal Khaleel Abu Alhommos
Dalal Aliadhy
Shaima Alsalman
Ohoud Alnafaa
Ahmed Mohamed
author_sort EL Walid EL Hassan
collection DOAJ
description Background: With the help of vaccines, the world has witnessed a substantial decrease and even the eradication of many infectious diseases. Many factors influenced the public’s acceptance and compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire link was distributed through social media platforms. The questionnaire tool assessed the participants’ general knowledge and the barriers to taking the COVID-19 vaccine. All people who are currently living in Saudi Arabia and are at least 16 years old were included in the study and formed the study population. Based on our inclusion criteria, a total of 2,198 individuals were enrolled in this study. Results: Participants who were willing to take the vaccine were 68%. After vaccination, 10% of the participants think they can stop wearing face masks and washing their hands. Two-thirds of the participants think that the vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. A total of 44.0% of the participants were afraid of the vaccine. The most common reasons were fear of unknown side effects (53.9%) and believing that the vaccine was not tested enough (27%). More than half of the study participants had a preference for receiving the Pfizer vaccine (52%). Conclusion: The public’s acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is insufficient. Unknown side effects, widespread misconceptions, and a lack of adequate safety trials are all important reasons for concern among Saudis. More educational materials and awareness efforts will help to alleviate the fear that surrounds it. This will boost the vaccine’s acceptance rate in the long run.
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spelling doaj.art-4abf548fd4274fe697f414a38e0c3d652023-11-23T11:14:05ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322022-05-0110585310.3390/healthcare10050853Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional StudyEL Walid EL Hassan0Amal Khaleel Abu Alhommos1Dalal Aliadhy2Shaima Alsalman3Ohoud Alnafaa4Ahmed Mohamed5Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa 43518, Saudi ArabiaBackground: With the help of vaccines, the world has witnessed a substantial decrease and even the eradication of many infectious diseases. Many factors influenced the public’s acceptance and compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire link was distributed through social media platforms. The questionnaire tool assessed the participants’ general knowledge and the barriers to taking the COVID-19 vaccine. All people who are currently living in Saudi Arabia and are at least 16 years old were included in the study and formed the study population. Based on our inclusion criteria, a total of 2,198 individuals were enrolled in this study. Results: Participants who were willing to take the vaccine were 68%. After vaccination, 10% of the participants think they can stop wearing face masks and washing their hands. Two-thirds of the participants think that the vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 infection. A total of 44.0% of the participants were afraid of the vaccine. The most common reasons were fear of unknown side effects (53.9%) and believing that the vaccine was not tested enough (27%). More than half of the study participants had a preference for receiving the Pfizer vaccine (52%). Conclusion: The public’s acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is insufficient. Unknown side effects, widespread misconceptions, and a lack of adequate safety trials are all important reasons for concern among Saudis. More educational materials and awareness efforts will help to alleviate the fear that surrounds it. This will boost the vaccine’s acceptance rate in the long run.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/5/853attitudebeliefsCOVID-19 vaccineknowledgeSaudi Arabia
spellingShingle EL Walid EL Hassan
Amal Khaleel Abu Alhommos
Dalal Aliadhy
Shaima Alsalman
Ohoud Alnafaa
Ahmed Mohamed
Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Healthcare
attitude
beliefs
COVID-19 vaccine
knowledge
Saudi Arabia
title Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_fullStr Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full_unstemmed Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_short Public Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_sort public knowledge beliefs and attitudes toward the covid 19 vaccine in saudi arabia a cross sectional study
topic attitude
beliefs
COVID-19 vaccine
knowledge
Saudi Arabia
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/10/5/853
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