COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Young Adults in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Web-Based Study
Open Access
- 1 April 2021
- Vol. 9 (4), 330
- https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9040330
Abstract
Ending the COVID-19 pandemic requires achieving herd immunity, either by previous infection or by vaccination. However, concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine are growing around the globe. The current study was conducted to investigate young the adult population’s hesitancy towards the vaccine. The study used a prospective cross-sectional design. Data was collected using an online self-administered questionnaire. A total of 862 Saudi adults participated. Information was gathered on the participants’ perspectives towards the severity and susceptibility of the COVID-19 infection, reasons for their hesitancy to receive the vaccine, perceived benefits, and reasons for action. Just under a quarter (19.6%) of respondents had previously tested positive for COVID-19. A small minority of the participants had already received the vaccine (2.1%), while 20.3% had registered in the Sehaty app (application) to receive the vaccine. Just under half of them (48%) will take the vaccine when mass vaccination is achieved and approximately the same number (46.7%) will only take it if it is made mandatory. Vaccine reluctance is highly prevalent among the general public in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many are aware of a high likelihood of getting the infection, the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccine were reported as barriers to vaccination.Keywords
This publication has 23 references indexed in Scilit:
- Good reasons to vaccinate: mandatory or payment for risk?Journal of Medical Ethics, 2020
- COVID-19 and Vaccine HesitancyThe Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 2020
- A global survey of potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccineNature Medicine, 2020
- Health in Aging — Past, Present, and FutureThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2020
- Ensuring Uptake of Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2The New England Journal of Medicine, 2020
- Review on the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic: Its outbreak and current statusInternational Journal of Clinical Practice, 2020
- Acceptance of a COVID-19 Vaccine in Southeast Asia: A Cross-Sectional Study in IndonesiaFrontiers in Public Health, 2020
- The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the general population of Saudi ArabiaComprehensive Psychiatry, 2020
- The Effects of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak on Academic Staff Members: A Case Study of a Pharmacy School in Saudi ArabiaRisk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2020
- Association Between Vaccine Refusal and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in the United StatesJAMA, 2016