Minshawi Faisal, Samannodi Mohammed, Alwafi Hassan, Assaggaf Hamza M, Almatrafi Mohammed A, Salawati Emad, Alsafi Radi, Alharbi Ruba A, Alduais Raghad F, Alrehaili Muruj, Tariq Shahad, Alghamdi Rahaf, Almatrfi Shumok
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2022 Aug 30;15:1841-1849. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S379150. eCollection 2022.
Influenza vaccination is the primary control measure for severe complications caused by influenza viruses. Moreover, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia recommends vaccinating people at risk against influenza to minimise co-infection risk with SARS-CoV2. Therefore, this study aims to assess the Saudi population's knowledge, attitude, and practice toward influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, we evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seasonal influenza vaccination.
This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey in Saudi Arabia between July to August 2021. Participants were invited to complete the questionnaire through a survey link sent to social media platforms.
A total of 2410 participants were included in this study. Our data demonstrate a lack of practice, attitude, and knowledge, especially on the influenza virus's symptoms, viral transmission, and vaccine efficacy. Moreover, this study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted seasonal influenza vaccination in the Saudi population by 1.5-times compared to the previous years.
COVID-19 pandemic has increased the hesitancy of Saudi participants in influenza vaccination due to the lack of knowledge. As the pandemic of COVID-19 is fading, awareness campaigns are needed to encourage the public about the importance of receiving the influenza vaccine, especially for those at high risk each year.
流感疫苗接种是预防流感病毒引发严重并发症的主要控制措施。此外，面对新冠疫情，沙特阿拉伯建议对有流感风险的人群进行疫苗接种，以尽量降低与严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV2）共同感染的风险。因此，本研究旨在评估新冠疫情期间沙特人群对流感疫苗接种的知识、态度和行为。此外，我们还评估了新冠疫情对季节性流感疫苗接种的影响。
本横断面研究于2021年7月至8月在沙特阿拉伯通过在线调查进行。通过发送至社交媒体平台的调查链接邀请参与者完成问卷。
本研究共纳入2410名参与者。我们的数据表明，参与者在行为、态度和知识方面存在欠缺，尤其是在流感病毒症状、病毒传播和疫苗效力方面。此外，本研究表明，与前几年相比，新冠疫情对沙特人群季节性流感疫苗接种的影响显著增加了1.5倍。
由于知识匮乏，新冠疫情增加了沙特参与者对流感疫苗接种的犹豫。随着新冠疫情逐渐消退，需要开展宣传活动，鼓励公众了解接种流感疫苗的重要性，特别是对于每年的高危人群。
