Abstract

Background: Vaccinations have greatly reduced the burden of infectious disease. But there is some population refuse to take these vaccines. They have wrong perceptions about vaccination. Moreover, for this reason, it is important to determine knowledge, concerns of the population about vaccination.
Methodology: A cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire survey conducted among adults who attended primary health care centers over 3 months in 2017, at Majmaah city, Saudi Arabia. Adults from different age groups and genders were recruited to participate. The questionnaire was adopted from another study titled; "parents knowledge and attitudes on childhood immunization, Taif, Saudi Arabia". The questionnaire was validated by the pilot study. The total number of participants was 300, male and female participants were nearly equal in number. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software.
Results: Overall 280 participants were recruited, 142 were male (50.7%) and 138 were female (49.7%). The majority of the participants had a positive attitude toward immunization. The majority of participants (77.9%) agreed that the benefits of immunization are more than its harm. Ninety percent of the respondents agreed that vaccinations are important for child health. Nearly, 37% were concerned and uncomfortable about the side effects of all vaccinations. Sixteen percent believed that immunizations could cause some diseases.
Conclusion: The results of the present survey showed that parents and adults have good knowledge and positive attitudes on some aspects related to vaccinations. There are some concerns regarding the safety and side effects of vaccinations, which are needed to be addressed by using proper social media channels through health educators.

Key words: Immunization, vaccine, Majmaah city