Herpes Zoster Vaccine Awareness and Uptake Among Older Adults in Saudi Arabia: Insights for Public Health, Preventive Medicine, and Primary Care Practice.

BACKGROUND/

OBJECTIVES

Complications from Herpes Zoster (HZ) are common among older adults and immunosuppressed populations. The HZ vaccine is a clinically and financially superior alternative to antiviral medications. However, a knowledge gap exists within the population regarding HZ and the vaccine. This quantitative cross-sectional study assessed the knowledge, practices, and attitudes of people aged > 50 years towards HZ vaccination in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Data were collected via an online self-administered Arabic questionnaire. It captured sociodemographic and health-related parameters, knowledge of HZ and its vaccine, and attitudes towards vaccination. A total of 431 responses were collected and a multivariate linear regression was applied to test the association between study variables and participants' awareness about the HZ virus and vaccine.

RESULTS

The participants comprised 53.4% men and 46.6% women with a median age of 54 years (interquartile range 7); 86.5% and 61% of participants were aware of HZ and the vaccine, respectively. The multivariate linear regression model demonstrated that female sex, older age, health insurance, and pox-history, were significantly associated with greater knowledge of HZ (p < 0.05); 85.4% of participants were not vaccinated, citing vaccine side effects (30.2%), low perceived risk (20.9%), and lack of awareness (20.0%). 65.2% and 84.9% of participants expressed interest in learning more about HZ and its prevention, respectively. 69.4% were willing to receive the vaccine if recommended by a healthcare provider.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite relatively high awareness, vaccine uptake remained low. These findings highlight the need to explore additional barriers influencing vaccination uptake.