Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers
Background: Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering where the risk of respiratory infection is high. Although the Saudi Arabian authority recommends influenza vaccination for Hajj pilgrims, the uptake is variable. Influenza vaccine uptake data among Australian Hajj pilgrims is not readily availabl...
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| Format: | Article |
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Oxford University Press
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41617/ |
| _version_ | 1848796316683993088 |
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| author | Barasheed, Osamah Rashid, Harunor Heron, Leon Ridda, Iman Haworth, Elizabeth Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan S. Dwyer, Dominic E. Booy, Robert |
| author_facet | Barasheed, Osamah Rashid, Harunor Heron, Leon Ridda, Iman Haworth, Elizabeth Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan S. Dwyer, Dominic E. Booy, Robert |
| author_sort | Barasheed, Osamah |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering where the risk of respiratory infection is high. Although the Saudi Arabian authority recommends influenza vaccination for Hajj pilgrims, the uptake is variable. Influenza vaccine uptake data among Australian Hajj pilgrims is not readily available. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the influenza vaccination uptake rate and identify both attitudes and barriers to vaccine uptake from two consecutives surveys at Hajj in 2011 and 2012.
Methods: Using an anonymous self‐administered questionnaire, surveys were conducted in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, among Hajj pilgrims from Australia in 2011 and 2012. Pilgrims staying in “Australian” tents were recruited serially.
Results: In 2011, 431 Australian pilgrims completed the survey—median age was 42 (range 7–86) years, 55% were male; 65% reported receiving influenza vaccine. In 2012, 535 pilgrims of median age 43 (range 12–83) years completed the survey, 62% were male; 89% reported receiving the vaccine. Both in 2011 and 2012, common reasons for not receiving the vaccine were the pilgrims' reliance on their “natural immunity” (33 and 26%, respectively, p = 0.4) and believing that they would rarely catch influenza or come in contact with influenza patients (18 and 29%, respectively, p = 0.1). In 2012, when asked why they had received the vaccine, 65% pilgrims responded that it was because of the tour group leaders' recommendation.
Conclusion: Influenza vaccine uptake among Australian Hajj pilgrims seems satisfactory and increasing but could be better because many pilgrims have misconceptions about vaccines. Tour operators may play a greater role in promoting vaccination. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:46:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-41617 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:46:03Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-416172020-05-04T16:52:12Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41617/ Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers Barasheed, Osamah Rashid, Harunor Heron, Leon Ridda, Iman Haworth, Elizabeth Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan S. Dwyer, Dominic E. Booy, Robert Background: Hajj is the largest annual mass gathering where the risk of respiratory infection is high. Although the Saudi Arabian authority recommends influenza vaccination for Hajj pilgrims, the uptake is variable. Influenza vaccine uptake data among Australian Hajj pilgrims is not readily available. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the influenza vaccination uptake rate and identify both attitudes and barriers to vaccine uptake from two consecutives surveys at Hajj in 2011 and 2012. Methods: Using an anonymous self‐administered questionnaire, surveys were conducted in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, among Hajj pilgrims from Australia in 2011 and 2012. Pilgrims staying in “Australian” tents were recruited serially. Results: In 2011, 431 Australian pilgrims completed the survey—median age was 42 (range 7–86) years, 55% were male; 65% reported receiving influenza vaccine. In 2012, 535 pilgrims of median age 43 (range 12–83) years completed the survey, 62% were male; 89% reported receiving the vaccine. Both in 2011 and 2012, common reasons for not receiving the vaccine were the pilgrims' reliance on their “natural immunity” (33 and 26%, respectively, p = 0.4) and believing that they would rarely catch influenza or come in contact with influenza patients (18 and 29%, respectively, p = 0.1). In 2012, when asked why they had received the vaccine, 65% pilgrims responded that it was because of the tour group leaders' recommendation. Conclusion: Influenza vaccine uptake among Australian Hajj pilgrims seems satisfactory and increasing but could be better because many pilgrims have misconceptions about vaccines. Tour operators may play a greater role in promoting vaccination. Oxford University Press 2014-08-21 Article PeerReviewed Barasheed, Osamah, Rashid, Harunor, Heron, Leon, Ridda, Iman, Haworth, Elizabeth, Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan S., Dwyer, Dominic E. and Booy, Robert (2014) Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers. Journal of Travel Medicine, 21 (6). pp. 384-390. ISSN 1195-1982 Influenza Australia Saudi Arabia Vaccination Vaccines https://academic.oup.com/jtm/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/jtm.12146 doi:10.1111/jtm.12146 doi:10.1111/jtm.12146 |
| spellingShingle | Influenza Australia Saudi Arabia Vaccination Vaccines Barasheed, Osamah Rashid, Harunor Heron, Leon Ridda, Iman Haworth, Elizabeth Nguyen-Van-Tam, Jonathan S. Dwyer, Dominic E. Booy, Robert Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title | Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title_full | Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title_fullStr | Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title_short | Influenza vaccination among Australian Hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| title_sort | influenza vaccination among australian hajj pilgrims: uptake, attitudes, and barriers |
| topic | Influenza Australia Saudi Arabia Vaccination Vaccines |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41617/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41617/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/41617/ |