Parental Vaccine Hesitancy, Awareness, and Attitudes Toward Childhood Vaccination in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to measure vaccine hesitancy, awareness and attitude towards vaccination among parents in Saudi Arabia.

This was a cross-sectional study, using a self-administered online questionnaire distributed within different social media platforms in Saudi Arabia. The study sample included both mothers and fathers residing in Saudi Arabia with children aged 2 months to 7 years. The questionnaire included demographic information, a five-item awareness scale, parental attitudes toward vaccination, and a culturally adapted version of the World Health Organization's Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS). Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study sample as inferential tests were not feasible. All statistical analysis was performed using PSPP.

A total of 233 parents participated. While most parents exhibited high awareness of vaccine benefits and effectiveness, 9% reported delaying vaccination, and a small proportion expressed vaccine hesitancy. Common reasons for hesitancy included fear of new vaccines compared to older vaccines (44%), concerns about serious side effects of vaccines (51%), and concerns about administering multiple vaccines simultaneously (44%). The adapted VHS demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.88).

Although vaccine acceptance remains high among Saudi parents, a subset still delays or questions vaccines due to safety concerns and misinformation. Tailored public health messaging and healthcare provider engagement are needed to address specific parental concerns and reinforce trust in vaccination program.