UAE and Saudi residents think Pfizer is the safest COVID-19 vaccine

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Residents of the UAE and Saudi Arabia consider the Pfizer-Biotech vaccine to be the safest, with nearly three quarters, 74 percent, saying they believe it is safe, according to a YouGov survey.

Only 10 percent believe the vaccine is unsafe, while 17 percent remain unsure.

The majority of UAE residents, or 76 percent, believe in the safety of the vaccine, compared to 71 percent in Saudi Arabia.

Overall, UAE residents have greater trust in all vaccines than those in Saudi Arabia.

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The vaccine which UAE and Saudi residents consider to be the next safest is AstraZeneca, perceived to be safe by 62 percent, followed by Sinopharm, which 53 percent of the respondents consider safe, and Moderna at 50 percent, Sputnik at 48 percent and Johnson & Johnson, 46 percent.

The YouGov survey of 2030 residents in the Saudi Arabia and in the UAE showed notable differences in trust levels between age groups.

Adults aged 25-34 years are more likely to trust the vaccine, but the trust is lower among the youngest age group of 18-24 years. This is more common among young adults in Saudi, where only 66 percent say they consider the Pfizer vaccine safe.

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Residents who are married with children are more likely to trust the vaccine as compared to the single population (76 percent versus 71 percent).

Similarly, working residents in the two countries are more likely than those who are not working to trust the Pfizer vaccine (78 percent versus 65 percent).

The biggest diversion of opinion between the two countries was around the Sinopharm vaccine, which 74 percent of UAE residents consider safe, while only 32 percent of Saudi residents consider it safe.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are approved for use in both countries, but they are thought to be more safe by the residents of UAE than Saudi Arabia – 59 percent versus 38 percent for Sputnik, and 52 percent versus 39 percent for Johnson & Johnson.

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Seban Scaria)

imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com

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