Public Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines in Saudi Arabia

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.

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Adenovirus and RNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ perceptions and acceptance among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia: a national survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048586 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. e048586

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Mazin Barry ◽

Fadi Aljamaan ◽

Abdullah Alhuzaimi ◽

Ayman Al-Eyadhy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Vectored Vaccine ◽

To Receive

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the perception, confidence, hesitancy and acceptance rate of various COVID-19 vaccine types among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Saudi Arabia, a nation with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus experience.DesignNational cross-sectional, pilot-validated questionnaire.SettingOnline, self-administered questionnaire among HCWs.ParticipantsA total of 2007 HCWs working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated; 1512 (75.3%) participants completed the survey and were included in the analysis.InterventionData were collected through an online survey sent to HCWs during 1–15 November 2020. The main outcome measure was HCW acceptance of COVID-19 candidate vaccines. The associated factors of vaccination acceptance were identified through a logistic regression analysis and via measurement of the level of anxiety, using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7 scale.ResultsAmong the 1512 HCWs who were included, 62.4% were women, 70.3% were between 21 and 40 years of age, and the majority (62.2%) were from tertiary hospitals. In addition, 59.5% reported knowing about at least one vaccine; 24.4% of the participants were sure about their willingness to receive the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, and 20.9% were willing to receive the RNA BNT162b2 vaccine. However, 18.3% reported that they would refuse to receive the Ad5-vectored vaccine, and 17.9% would refuse the Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine. Factors that influenced the differential readiness of HCWs included their perceptions of the vaccine’s efficiency in preventing the infection (33%), their personal preferences (29%) and the vaccine’s manufacturing country (28.6%).ConclusionsAwareness by HCWs of the several COVID-19 candidate vaccines could improve their perceptions and acceptance of vaccination. Reliable sources on vaccine efficiency could improve vaccine uptake, so healthcare authorities should use reliable information to decrease vaccine hesitancy among frontline healthcare providers.

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SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: healthcare workers' perceptions and beliefs of vaccine effectiveness and advocacy: a national survey during the first week of the World Health Organization variant alert

10.1101/2021.12.27.21268431 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Fadi Aljamaan ◽

Shuliweeh Alenezi ◽

Khalid Alhasan ◽

Abdulkarim Alrabiaah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Vaccine Effectiveness ◽

World Health ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Variant Discovery ◽

Health Organization ◽

Mandatory Vaccination ◽

To Receive

Background: As COVID-19 Omicron variant spread in several countries, healthcare workers' (HCWs) perceptions of vaccine effectiveness, booster and worries warrant reassessment. Methods: Online questionnaire among HCWs in Saudi Arabia (KSA) was collected between Dec 1-6, 2021, aiming to assess their Omicron variant's perceptions, worries, and booster-vaccine advocacy. Results: Among the 1285 HCWs participants in the study, two-thirds were females, 41% were nurses,46.4% were physicians, and 50% worked in tertiary care hospitals. Vaccination was perceived to be the most effective way to prevent the spread of Omicron variant and future variants by 66.9%. The respondents perceived social distancing (78%), universal masking (77.8%), and avoiding unnecessary travel (71.4%), slightly superior to vaccination to prevent COVID-19 variants spread. Of the respondents, 99.5% received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Regarding the booster dose, 96% either received it or planned to receive it once they are eligible. 57.7% of the respondents agreed that Omicron could cause a new COVID-19 wave worldwide, 45.9% agreed it may cause another COVID-19 wave in Saudi Arabia and 46.1% indicated the possibility of another lockdown. Overall, the HCWs worry level of the Omicron variant correlated significantly and strongly with their perception of the effectiveness of vaccination and preventive measures. Male HCWs had a significant agreement with mandatory vaccination of all eligible adult populations while HCWs who are unwilling to receive the vaccine had a strong disagreement with mandatory vaccination. Conclusions: The current study was conducted in the first week of Omicron variant discovery in KSA and only two-thirds of HCWs felt that vaccination is the best option to prevent the variant spread, indicating the need to further motivation campaigns for vaccination and booster doses education among HCWs. HCWs had a strong belief in non-pharmacologic interventions that should be encouraged and augmented. It is important to further study and enhance coping strategies for HCWs as we move through the third year of the pandemic with more potential variants, to protect HCWs from fatigue and burnout.

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Predictors of Intent to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccination Among the Population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Survey Study

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare ◽

10.2147/jmdh.s306654 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol Volume 14 ◽

pp. 1119-1128

Author(s):

Sami Alobaidi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Survey Study ◽

Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽

To Receive

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The Health Belief Model Predicts Intention to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine in Saudi Arabia: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9080864 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 864

Author(s):

Ilias Mahmud ◽

Russell Kabir ◽

Muhammad Aziz Rahman ◽

Angi Alradie-Mohamed ◽

Divya Vinnakota ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Belief Model ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Belief ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Belief Model ◽

To Receive ◽

The Health Belief Model

We examined the intention and predictors of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a nation-wide, cross-sectional online survey between February and March 2021. A total of 1387 people (≥18 years) participated. Only 27.3% adults had a definite and 30.2% had a probable vaccination intent; 26.8% and 15.6% had a probable and definite negative vaccination intent. Older people (≥50 years) (p < 0.01), healthcare workers/professionals (p < 0.001), and those who received flu vaccine (p < 0.001) were more likely to have a positive intent. People from Riyadh were less likely to receive the vaccine (p < 0.05). Among the health belief model constructs, perceived susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 (p < 0.001), and perceived benefit of the vaccine (p < 0.001) were positively associated with vaccination intent, whereas perceived barriers had a negative association (p < 0.001). Individuals were more likely to receive the vaccine after obtaining complete information (p < 0.001) and when the vaccine uptake would be more common amongst the public (p < 0.001).

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Association Between Social Media Use and the Acceptance of Covid-19 Vaccination Among the General Population in Saudi Arabia – A Cross-sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1076790/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sahar S. Othman ◽

Abeer Alsuwaidi ◽

Rafal Aseel ◽

Reema Alotaibi ◽

Reem Bablgoom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Population ◽

Side Effect ◽

Media Use ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Social Media Use ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

To Receive

Abstract BackgroundThe 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic (COVID-19) is a worldwide global epidemic. Although acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination will be a critical step in combating the pandemic, achieving high uptake will be difficult, and potentially made more difficult by social media misinformation. This study aimed to examine the association between social media use and acceptance of receiving COVID-19 vaccine among the general population in Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted from June 17 to June 19, 2021 among 504 participants of the general population in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected using a three-part online questionnaire (sociodemographic characteristics, medical and vaccination history, pattern of social media use). ResultsAmong 504 participants who completed the survey, 477 participants were acceptant of the vaccine and 27 were non-accepting. A total of 335 individuals had already received the vaccine, 142 were willing to receive the vaccine and 27 were unwilling. One hundred and thirty participants denied using social media for COVID-19 news. Four factors were found to be significant in influencing vaccine acceptance in univariate analysis: having a chronic condition, believing that infertility is a side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine, being concerned about a serious side effect from the vaccine and basing the decision to be vaccinated on social media information. Two of these factors fell away on multivariate analysis: basing the decision on social media information and a belief that vaccination causes infertility, suggesting that the associations are dependent on other factors.Conclusion‏In conclusion, there was no significant independent relationship between social media usage and people's willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

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Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccination among the General Population in Saudi Arabia

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9091218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 1218

Author(s):

Khalid Al-Mansour ◽

Saad Alyahya ◽

Fouad AbuGazalah ◽

Khaled Alabdulkareem

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Population ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Monthly Income ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Vaccine Refusal ◽

To Receive

Vaccine refusal or hesitancy is one of the significant issues that can have an adverse impact on people’s health and their countries’ economy. Additionally, vaccine acceptance or refusal could have a decisive role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine refusal and hesitancy among the general population in Saudi Arabia. The method is a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire, and data were collected from 1935 participants between 18 February 2021 and 1 April 2021. Out of 1935 participants aged ≥18 years and residing in Saudi Arabia, 46.9% reported their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, 22.4% had received the vaccine, 9.5% did not intend to receive the vaccine, and 21.2% had not made their decision. In the multinomial logistic regression models, vaccine refusal was associated with age (OR: 0.961), nationality (OR: 0.182), monthly income of more than SAR 18,000 (OR: 2.325), chronic diseases (OR: 0.521), knowledge about the vaccine (OR: 0.937), and concerns about the vaccine (OR: 1.5). The hesitancy was associated with age (OR: 0.977), nationality (OR: 0.231), monthly income between SAR 6000 to 12,000 (OR: 0.607), chronic diseases (OR: 0.640), knowledge about the vaccine (OR: 0.907), and concerns about the vaccine (OR: 1.3). The main concerns about the vaccine were “COVID-19 vaccines are not tested enough on people”, “drug companies are interested in COVID-19 vaccine sales only”, and “COVID-19 vaccines have serious adverse effects”. Awareness programs and vaccination campaigns should consider people’s concerns and correct their misinformation.

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Net Working Capital versus Net Owner's Equity Approaches to Computing Zakatable Amount

American Journal of Islam and Society ◽

10.35632/ajis.v9i1.2593 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 69-85

Author(s):

Mohamed H. El-Badawi ◽

Sultan M. Al-Sultan

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Working Capital ◽

The Poor ◽

Accounting Principles ◽

Capital Assets ◽

Technical Details ◽

The Rich ◽

Financial Transactions ◽

To Receive ◽

The Relationship

IntroductionZakah is a form of tax and alms mandated by Islam? The concepts underlyingzakah are that the rich are responsible for the poor and the poor havethe right to receive zakah. This does not imply that Islam is anticapitalist;in fact, Islam motivates the rich to invest funds so they will not be diminshedby paying zakah. Islam opposes idle savings, as it encourages the investmentof funds for increased production, employment, and assistance to the poor.~Zakah is ordained by the Qur'an, but its technical details are interpreted bythe rules and jurisprudence of Islam.All economic entities maintain financial records of some kind and preparefinancial statements according to generally accepted accounting standards.These records and statements are designed for different purposes and arenot necessary for determining the amount of wealth subject to zakah. Manyresearchers have investigated the methods employed to determine the zakatableamount levied on trade assets ('Urud al tijarah). These methods may be summarizedinto two approaches: a) the net working capital approach and b)the owner's equity approach.This paper investigates the feasibility of using the net working capitalapproach (i.e., accounting principles) and the owner's net equity approach(i.e., the Saudi system) to determine the zakatable amount of trade assets.It will also show the relationship between the two approaches.This paper is divided into five sections: a) introducing the principlesand conditions of zakah accounting for businesses; b) discussing the net workingcapital approach and how to determine the growing capital as the basisfor ascertaining the &table amount by analyzing the elements of workingcapital and the financial transactions during the year; c) analyzing the owner'sequity approach used in Saudi Arabia to determine the &table amount;d) applying both approaches to a numerical example; and e) contrasting thegrowing capital with the zakatable amount.Principles and Conditions of Trade Zakah('Urud al Tijarah)There are two types of assets. The first type, which is not subject tozakah, includes those capital assets owned for the purpose of using themin one's business. Examples of such assets are the tools and machines usedfor production or marketing. The second type, which is subject to zakah,includes those assets manufactured or purchased for malung a profit by resellingthem ...

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Predictors of nursing students’ intention to receive COVID‐19 vaccination: A multi‐university study in Saudi Arabia

Journal of Advanced Nursing ◽

10.1111/jan.15002 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abdualrahman Saeed Alshehry ◽

Jonas Preposi Cruz ◽

Nahed Alquwez ◽

Abdalkarem F. Alsharari ◽

Hanan M. M. Tork ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Nursing Students ◽

To Receive

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Living the Challenges of a Pandemic Through the Succour and Strength of Science

Bioscience Biotechnology Research Communications ◽

10.21786/bbrc/14.4.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 1393

Author(s):

Sharique A. Ali

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Dental Care ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Dental Service ◽

Dental Students ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Digital Platforms ◽

Access To Dental Care ◽

To Receive ◽

Dental Professionals

Access to dental care in Saudi Arabia is a challenge due to the lack of proper distribution of the dental workforce. Teledentistry is the field of dentistry that helps to receive and provide dental service remotely using digital platforms. It can facilitate access to dental care, especially in underserved regions. The implication of teledentistry needs to address the concerns of dental professionals to ensure effective teledentistry application in dental practice. This review aimed to explore the literature about the perception, awareness, and knowledge of dental professionals about teledentistry in Saudi Arabia. Peer-reviewed literature was searched in databases including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar with no time limits using the keywords: “Teledentistry”, “Dental Telemedicine”, “Saudi Arabia”, “Perception”, “Knowledge”, “Awareness”. We identified 7 relevant studies. All of them were after the breakthrough of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two studies targeted all dental professionals while another two studies investigated the dentists. Undergraduate dental students were investigated by one study as well as postgraduates. One study focused on both undergraduate and postgraduate dental students. Our review found that the perception, knowledge, awareness, and attitude of Saudi dental professionals are positive. Many studies pointed out that the dental professionals in Saudi Arabia are practicing teledentistry and are open to learn and get more knowledge about it. Teledentistry got more attention during the post-COVID19 time by Saudi dental professionals. Structured and sustainable models and education pogroms are recommended to utilize the benefits of teledentistry in Saudi Arabia.

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