Vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Lack of knowledge, resources and community feedback could play a great role in developing vaccine hesitancy among populations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy and to assess the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine during the ongoing MERS-CoV-2 pandemic in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during March 2020 on the local population (n=262) of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. A pre-tested electronic questionnaire was used to obtain participants’ demographic data, knowledge base and attitudes. Results: Of 262 participants, 76% were adults (18 to 60-years-old), and 24% were parents. Around 62% of participants were keen to take the flu vaccine. Regarding vaccine knowledge and the source of the knowledge, 92% had heard of the influenza vaccine from their health care provider, health awareness campaign, social media, relatives or friends, at 45%, 29%, 16%, and 11%, respectively. A significant interaction was found between participant’s age group and willingness to accept the introduction of a new vaccine against novel corona virus (P = 0.00). Conclusion: Currently, vaccine hesitancy in Makkah is high (38%) compared to previous findings. It is recommended that improved measures should be taken to create more awareness through increased communal educational campaigns. Moreover, continuing education about the importance of vaccinations should be conducted by health care providers. Additional studies are needed in Makkah to assess the vaccine hesitancy movement. Keywords: Vaccine hesitancy, Influenza, prevalence, Saudi Arabia, MERS-CoV2, COVID-19