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Faisal Minshawi,1 Mohammed Samannodi,2 Hassan Alwafi,3 Hamza M Assaggaf,1 Mohammed A Almatrafi,4 Emad Salawati,5 Radi Alsafi,1 Ruba A Alharbi,3 Raghad F Alduais,3 Muruj Alrehaili,3 Shahad Tariq,3 Rahaf Alghamdi,3 Shumok Almatrfi3 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 3Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Pediatrics, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Mohammed Samannodi, Email mssamannodi@uqu.edu.saIntroduction: 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.Methods: 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.Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccine, vaccine hesitancy |
