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

ABSTRACT

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.