Willingness and Hesitancy Factors Toward COVID-19 Vaccination

Background: Vaccination and other measures have helped controlling the effects of COVID-19 in many countries. However, public resistance to these measures - especially vaccination - remains an obstacle to mitigate the pandemic's effects.Aim: To assess the reasons for acceptance and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination among the Saudi population with its sociodemographic correlates.Methods: A correlational cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of people across Saudi Arabia. The data collection sheet included socioeconomic-demographic information and factors related to willingness and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination. The study sample was fully randomized by selecting random mobile phone numbers. Results: 621 participants were enrolled in the study's final analysis. The mean age for all participants was 26.8 years; 57.1% were males. The study showed that most participants had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (91.8%). Of those who had received the first dose, two thirds planned to receive the second dose. Only 8.2% of participants were reluctant to receive the vaccine. The main reasons for willingness to be vaccinated were returning to life before the COVID-19 pandemic (76.3%), followed by avoidance of official restrictions (65.8%). Significant relationships are found between vaccination and the following factors: male gender, being student or an employee, and self or families (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed high levels of vaccine willingness in the sample; this is mostly attributed to participants' longing to return to normal life before the pandemic. In addition, it strongly indicated the effectiveness of official government restrictions to encourage vaccination.