Perception of COVID-19 Booster Dose Vaccine among Healthcare Workers in India and Saudi Arabia

Sajith Vellappally, Sachin Naik, Omar Alsadon, Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Kheraif, Haya Alayadi, Areej Jaber Alsiwat, Aswini Kumar, Mohamed Hashem, Nibu Varghese, Nebu George Thomas and Sukumaran Anil
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Sajith Vellappally: Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Sachin Naik: Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Omar Alsadon: Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Abdullah Al-Kheraif: Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Haya Alayadi: Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Areej Jaber Alsiwat: Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Aswini Kumar: Department of Prosthodontics, Amritha School of Dentistry, Vishwavidyapeetham, Cochin 682041, KL, India
Mohamed Hashem: Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
Nibu Varghese: MACFAST, Tiruvalla 689101, KL, India
Nebu George Thomas: Department of Periodontology, Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences, Thiruvalla 689107, KL, India
Sukumaran Anil: Department of Dentistry, Oral Health Institute, Hamad Medical Cooperation, Doha 3050, Qatar

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-11

Abstract: Background: COVID-19 vaccines were made available to the public by the end of 2020. However, little is known about COVID-19 booster dose (CBD) vaccine perception among healthcare workers (HCW) worldwide. The present study aims to assess the perception of CBD vaccines among healthcare workers in India and Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs in two countries, India and SA. Data were gathered through the use of a self-administered questionnaire. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to collect the data. Results: A total of 833 HCW responses were collected from the two countries, with 530 participants from India and 303 participants from SA responding to the questionnaire. Among them, 16% from India and 33% from SA were unwilling to take a CBD ( p < 0.005). The primary reasons for not being willing were concerns about whether the vaccine would be effective (32%) and concerns about probable long-term side effects (31%). Concerns about not knowing enough about the vaccination (30%) and the possibility of long-term side effects (28%) were the primary concerns in SA. Regression analysis showed that males, urban residents, and post-graduates were more willing to take the CBD. Conclusion: There is a good perception of CBD and some hesitancy in receiving the booster dose among HCWs in both countries. The introduction of personalized education, risk communication, and deliberate policy could help to reduce the number of people who are unwilling to take a booster shot.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; health personnel; awareness; vaccination hesitancy; India; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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