Abstract
This study aimed to assess the willingness to receive the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza vaccines and vaccine uptake during the early stage of the national vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among adult Saudis between 20 January and 20 March 2021. The questionnaire addressed vaccine hesitancy, perceived risk, willingness, and vaccine uptake. Approximately 39% of the participants expressed vaccine hesitancy, and 29.8% and 24% felt highly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, respectively. The majority (59.5%) were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although only 31.7% were willing to receive the flu vaccine. Adjusted analysis showed that vaccine hesitancy (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.27–0.43) and the perception of being at high risk (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.68–4.60) independently affected the intention to be vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy was similar among those who were willing to be vaccinated (29.8%) and those who had already been vaccinated (33.1%). The perceived risk was significantly higher among those who had been vaccinated (48.1%) than among those who were willing to be vaccinated but had not yet been vaccinated (29.1%). In conclusion, the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia is high. Saudis who received the vaccine had a similar level of vaccine hesitancy and a higher level of perceived risk.
Highlights
Seasonal influenza spreads globally each year, causing significant morbidity and mortality among different age groups
We evaluated participants’ self-reported vaccine hesitancy according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition using three questions: “Have you ever refused a vaccine for yourself or a child because you considered it to be useless or dangerous?” “Have you ever postponed a vaccine recommended by a physician because of doubts about it?” “Have you ever accepted a vaccine for a child or yourself despite doubts about its efficacy”
Most participants were from the central region (n = 672; 43.8%) and had a university degree (n = 999; 65%), and only 10.9% worked in the health sector
Summary
Seasonal influenza spreads globally each year, causing significant morbidity and mortality among different age groups. In 2018, influenza caused three to five million cases of severe illness and 290,000–650,000 deaths worldwide [1]. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spanned the season in which influenza is prevalent. The virus that causes COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has transmission characteristics similar to those of influenza viruses, including airborne droplets and direct contact with infected individuals [2]. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the COVID-19 outbreak was a pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 has caused at least 124,894,108 infections and 2,745,702 deaths [3]
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