Sallam Malik, Dababseh Deema, Eid Huda, Al-Mahzoum Kholoud, Al-Haidar Ayat, Taim Duaa, Yaseen Alaa, Ababneh Nidaa A, Bakri Faris G, Mahafzah Azmi
Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan.
Department of Clinical Laboratories and Forensic Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan.
Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Jan 12;9(1):42. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9010042.
Vaccination could be an effective strategy for slowing the spread of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy could pose a serious problem for COVID-19 prevention, due to the spread of misinformation surrounding the ongoing pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes towards the prospective COVID-19 vaccines among the general public in Jordan, Kuwait and other Arab countries. We also aimed to assess the association between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and conspiracy beliefs. This study used an online survey distributed in December 2020, with items assessing conspiracies regarding COVID-19's origin and vaccination. Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines were assessed using the Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Scale (VCBS), with higher scores indicating a greater belief in vaccine conspiracy. A total of 3414 respondents completed the survey, the majority being residents of Jordan ( = 2173, 63.6%), Kuwait ( = 771, 22.6%) and Saudi Arabia ( = 154, 4.5%). The acceptance rates for COVID-19 and influenza vaccines were 29.4% and 30.9%, respectively. Males, respondents with higher educational levels and those with histories of chronic disease had higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Beliefs that COVID-19 vaccines are intended to inject microchips into recipients and that the vaccines are related to infertility were found in 27.7% and 23.4% of respondents, respectively. Higher VCBS scores were found among females, respondents with lower educational levels and respondents relying on social media platforms as the main source of information. The high rates of vaccine hesitancy in Jordan and Kuwait, among other Arab countries, are alarming. They could hinder the proper control of COVID-19 in the region. The harmful effect of COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracy beliefs was manifested in vaccine hesitancy. This may represent a massive obstacle to the successful control of the pandemic. A reliance on social media as the main source of information about COVID-19 vaccines was associated with vaccine hesitancy. This should alert governments, policy makers and the general public to the importance of vigilant fact checking.
接种疫苗可能是减缓当前2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行传播速度的有效策略。由于围绕当前大流行的错误信息传播，疫苗犹豫可能给COVID-19预防带来严重问题。本研究的目的是评估约旦、科威特和其他阿拉伯国家公众对未来COVID-19疫苗的态度。我们还旨在评估COVID-19疫苗接受度与阴谋论信念之间的关联。本研究使用了2020年12月分发的在线调查问卷，其中包含评估关于COVID-19起源和疫苗接种的阴谋论的项目。使用疫苗阴谋论信念量表（VCBS）评估对COVID-19疫苗的态度，得分越高表明对疫苗阴谋论的信念越强。共有3414名受访者完成了调查，其中大多数是约旦居民（n = 2173，63.6%）、科威特居民（n = 771，22.6%）和沙特阿拉伯居民（n = 154，4.5%）。COVID-19疫苗和流感疫苗的接受率分别为29.4%和30.9%。男性、教育水平较高的受访者以及有慢性病病史的受访者对COVID-19疫苗的接受率较高。分别有27.7%和23.4%的受访者认为COVID-19疫苗旨在向接种者体内注射微芯片，以及认为疫苗与不孕有关。在女性、教育水平较低的受访者以及将社交媒体平台作为主要信息来源的受访者中，VCBS得分较高。在约旦、科威特和其他阿拉伯国家，疫苗犹豫率较高令人担忧。这可能会阻碍该地区对COVID-19的妥善控制。COVID-19错误信息和阴谋论信念的有害影响在疫苗犹豫中表现出来。这可能是成功控制大流行的巨大障碍。将社交媒体作为关于COVID-19疫苗的主要信息来源与疫苗犹豫有关。这应提醒政府、政策制定者和公众警惕核实事实的重要性。
