The SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Hesitancy Among the General Population: A Large Cross-Sectional Study From Kuwait

Waleed Burhamah 1, Abdulaziz AlKhayyat 2, Melinda Oroszlányová 3, Ahmad AlKenane 4, Hana Jafar 5, Mousa Behbehani 4, Abdulrahman Almansouri 6

Affiliations

08 July 2021

-

doi: 10.7759/cureus.16261

Abstract

Although the approved COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be safe and effective, multiple beliefs and misconceptions still exist influencing the vaccine uptake rates around the world. The multifaceted complex phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy could jeopardize the efforts to overcome this pandemic. The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and examine the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy in Kuwait. This is a web-based cross-sectional study conducted in Kuwait from March 2021 until April 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our questionnaire examined basic demographic information, attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccines as well as reasons for and against accepting the vaccine. Out of the 2345 responders, the majority are fully convinced to take the vaccine (83%) and the rate of vaccine hesitancy is 17%. Vaccine hesitancy is higher among non-healthcare workers, those previously positive for the COVID-19 virus, and those against vaccines in general. Vaccine hesitancy could jeopardize the efforts to overcome this pandemic; therefore, intensifying nationwide education and dismissal of falsified information is an essential step towards addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Keywords: covid-19; pandemic; vaccine; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine uptake.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Similar articles

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among the Public in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Alibrahim J, Awad A.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 22;18(16):8836. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168836.PMID: 34444585 Free PMC article.

Qatar Healthcare Workers' COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Attitudes: A National Cross-Sectional Survey.

Kumar R, Alabdulla M, Elhassan NM, Reagu SM.Front Public Health. 2021 Aug 25;9:727748. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.727748. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34513792 Free PMC article.

Psychological Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Healthcare Workers in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the 5C and Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scales.

Al-Sanafi M, Sallam M.Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Jun 25;9(7):701. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9070701.PMID: 34202298 Free PMC article.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance, Intention, and Hesitancy: A Scoping Review.

Joshi A, Kaur M, Kaur R, Grover A, Nash D, El-Mohandes A.Front Public Health. 2021 Aug 13;9:698111. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.698111. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34485229 Free PMC article. Review.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Worldwide: A Concise Systematic Review of Vaccine Acceptance Rates.

Sallam M.Vaccines (Basel). 2021 Feb 16;9(2):160. doi: 10.3390/vaccines9020160.PMID: 33669441 Free PMC article. Review.

Cited by

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among the public in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A review of the literature.

Alsalloum MA, Garwan YM, Jose J, Thabit AK, Baghdady N.Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022 Nov 30;18(6):2091898. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2091898. Epub 2022 Jun 29.PMID: 35767457 Free PMC article. Review.

"Would You Get Vaccinated against COVID-19?" The Picture Emerging from a Study on the Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the General Population of the Veneto Region.

Cocchio S, Tremolada G, Furlan P, Nicoletti M, Zabeo F, Fonzo M, Tonon M, Russo F, Baldo V.Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Feb 25;10(3):365. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10030365.PMID: 35334997 Free PMC article.

Potential factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy: A systematic review.

Roy DN, Biswas M, Islam E, Azam MS.PLoS One. 2022 Mar 23;17(3):e0265496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265496. eCollection 2022.PMID: 35320309 Free PMC article.

Public acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines and its predictors in Middle ‎Eastern/North African (MENA) countries: a systematic review‎.

Dadras O, SeyedAlinaghi S, Karimi A, Shamsabadi A, Mahdiabadi S, Mohammadi P, Amiri A, Shojaei A, Pashaei Z, Mirzapour P, Qaderi K, MohsseniPour M, Alilou S, Mehraeen E, Jahanfar S.Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022 Nov 30;18(5):2043719. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2043719. Epub 2022 Mar 23.PMID: 35318872 Free PMC article.

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in a Cohort Study of Patients With Mental Illness in Residential and Community Care.

Mazereel V, Vanbrabant T, Desplenter F, Detraux J, De Picker L, Thys E, Popelier K, De Hert M.Front Psychiatry. 2021 Dec 16;12:805528. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.805528. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34975599 Free PMC article.

KMEL References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

References

  1.  
    1. Coronavirus update (live): 133,865,662 cases and 2,904,502 deaths from COVID-19 virus pandemic - Worldometer. [Apr;2021 ];https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ April. 2021
  2.  
    1. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): a review. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, et al. Int J Surg. 2020;78:185–193. - PMC - PubMed
  3.  
    1. Economic consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak: the need for epidemic preparedness. Pak A, Adegboye OA, Adekunle AI, Rahman KM, McBryde ES, Eisen DP. Front Public Health. 2020;8:241. - PMC - PubMed
  4.  
    1. The psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown measures: experience from 4000 participants. Burhamah W, AlKhayyat A, Oroszlányová M, et al. J Affect Disord. 2020;277:977–985. - PMC - PubMed
  5.  
    1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' interim recommendation for use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine - United States, December 2020. Oliver SE, Gargano JW, Marin M, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69:1922–1924. - PMC - PubMed
  6.  
    1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' interim recommendation for use of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine - United States, December 2020. Oliver SE, Gargano JW, Marin M, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;69:1653–1656. - PubMed
  7.  
    1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' interim recommendation for use of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine - United States, February 2021. Oliver SE, Gargano JW, Scobie H, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70:329–332. - PMC - PubMed
  8.  
    1. Covid-19: AstraZeneca vaccine is approved in EU with no upper age limit. Torjesen I. BMJ. 2021;372:0. - PubMed
  9.  
    1. Safety and efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. Polack FP, Thomas SJ, Kitchin N, et al. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:2603–2615. - PMC - PubMed
  10.  
    1. Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. Knoll MD, Wonodi C. Lancet. 2021;397:72–74. - PMC - PubMed
  11.  
    1. Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK. Voysey M, Clemens SAC, Madhi SA, et al. Lancet. 2021;397:99–111. - PMC - PubMed
  12.  
    1. Ten threats to global health in 2019. [Apr;2021 ];https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-... 2019
  13.  
    1. Willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine among adults at high-risk of COVID- 19: a UK-wide survey. Thorneloe R, Wilcockson HE, Lamb M, Jordan CH, Arden M. PsyArXiv. 2020
  14.  
    1. Conspiracy theories as barriers to controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. Romer D, Jamieson KH. Soc Sci Med. 2020;263:113356. - PMC - PubMed
  15.  
    1. High rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its association with conspiracy beliefs: a study in Jordan and Kuwait among other arab countries. Sallam M, Dababseh D, Eid H, et al. Vaccines (Basel) 2021;9 - PMC - PubMed
  16.  
    1. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy worldwide: a concise systematic review of vaccine acceptance rates. Sallam M. Vaccines (Basel) 2021;9 - PMC - PubMed
  17.  
    1. Associations of COVID-19 risk perception with vaccine hesitancy over time for Italian residents. Caserotti M, Girardi P, Rubaltelli E, Tasso A, Lotto L, Gavaruzzi T. Soc Sci Med. 2021;272:113688. - PMC - PubMed
  18.  
    1. Vaccine hesitancy: definition, scope and determinants. MacDonald NE. Vaccine. 2015;33:4161–4164. - PubMed
  19.  
    1. Psychological characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Murphy J, Vallières F, Bentall RP, et al. Nat Commun. 2021;12:29. - PMC - PubMed
  20.  
    1. Attitudes towards vaccines and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19: Implications for public health communications. Paul E, Steptoe A, Fancourt D. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2021;1:100012. - PMC - PubMed
  21.  
    1. Social patterning and stability of intention to accept a COVID-19 vaccine in Scotland: will those most at risk accept a vaccine? Williams L, Flowers P, McLeod J, Young D, Rollins L, The Catalyst Project Team. Vaccines (Basel) 2021;9 - PMC - PubMed
  22.  
    1. Herd immunity: understanding COVID-19. Randolph HE, Barreiro LB. Immunity. 2020;52:737–741. - PMC - PubMed
  23.  
    1. Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Wang J, Jing R, Lai X, Zhang H, Lyu Y, Knoll MD, Fang H. Vaccines (Basel) 2020;8 - PMC - PubMed
  24.  
    1. Acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine in Southeast Asia: a cross-sectional study in Indonesia. Harapan H, Wagner AL, Yufika A, et al. Front Public Health. 2020;8:381. - PMC - PubMed
  25.  
    1. A global survey of potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Lazarus JV, Ratzan SC, Palayew A, et al. Nat Med. 2021;27:225–228. - PMC - PubMed
  26.  
    1. Attitudes towards influenza vaccine and a potential COVID-19 vaccine in Italy and differences across occupational groups, September 2020. La Vecchia C, Negri E, Alicandro G, Scarpino V. Med Lav. 2020;111:445–448. - PMC - PubMed
  27.  
    1. Once we have it, will we use it? a European survey on willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Neumann-Böhme S, Varghese NE, Sabat I, et al. Eur J Health Econ. 2020;21:977–982. - PMC - PubMed
  28.  
    1. The demand for a COVID-19 vaccine in Ecuador. Sarasty O, Carpio CE, Hudson D, Guerrero-Ochoa PA, Borja I. Vaccine. 2020;38:8090–8098. - PMC - PubMed
  29.  
    1. Vaccine hesitancy in the era of COVID-19. Troiano G, Nardi A. Public Health. 2021;194:245–251. - PMC - PubMed
  30.  
    1. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine among patients with rheumatic diseases, healthcare workers and general population in Turkey: a web-based survey. Yurttas B, Poyraz BC, Sut N, et al. Rheumatol Int. 2021;41:1105–1114. - PMC - PubMed
  31.  
    1. Intention to get vaccinations against COVID-19 in French healthcare workers during the first pandemic wave: a cross-sectional survey. Gagneux-Brunon A, Detoc M, Bruel S, Tardy B, Rozaire O, Frappe P, Botelho-Nevers E. J Hosp Infect. 2021;108:168–173. - PMC - PubMed
  32.  
    1. An Asia-Pacific study on healthcare workers' perceptions of, and willingness to receive, the COVID-19 vaccination. Chew NWS, Cheong C, Kong G, et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2021;106:52–60. - PMC - PubMed
  33.  
    1. Vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccination in the time of COVID-19: a Google Trends analysis. Pullan S, Dey M. Vaccine. 2021;39:1877–1881. - PMC - PubMed
  34.  
    1. Predictors of willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. Kelly BJ, Southwell BG, McCormack LA, et al. BMC Infect Dis. 2021;21:338. - PMC - PubMed

Page Navigation