Readiness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine of General Population, Healthcare Workers and Medical Students in Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the healthcare system, economy, and social life worldwide. Much effort has been made to develop a COVID-19 vaccine to control the pandemic. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the factors that cause uncertainty about vaccination against COVID-19. The study aims to assess readiness to receive COVID-19 vaccination among the general population, healthcare workers, and medical students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in King Abdulaziz Hospital, East Jeddah General Hospital, and King Fahad General Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in June–August 2021. An online self-administered questionnaire in Google Form was distributed among healthcare workers and hospital visitors. Participants were selected via a convenient non-probability sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using SPSS. Results: A total of 300 participants were included in this study. More than half of the respondents were aged 18 to 25 years. Although almost 14% of our participants were not vaccinated, 82.9% of them were willing to get vaccinated. Approximately half of the respondents thought that COVID-19 vaccine is protective, and 18.7% thought it is not protective; 39% of the respondents were afraid of the side effects of the vaccine. Medical professionals and social media were the primary sources of information. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was found to be preferred by 81% of the respondents. A significant difference in readiness was observed between different nationalities (P=0.018): Saudi nationals (86.8%) showed a higher level of readiness to get vaccinated than non-Saudi nationals (33.3%). Conclusion: Overall, a multifaceted approach is needed to increase vaccine awareness. Therefore, further research is recommended to consider the scope of readiness for COVID19 vaccination to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine effort.