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Pfizer jab more likely to be trusted by 25-34 age group adults
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AstraZeneca vaccine considered second safest vaccine in both countries
Dubai: Most residents of the UAE and Saudi Arabia believe the Pfizer-Biotech vaccine is the safest among the available Covid-19 vaccines, according to a study by market research firm, YouGov.
Three-quarters of respondents in both countries think the Pfizer vaccine is safe than unsafe (74 percent vs 10 percent). Less than one in five (17 percent) said they are unsure about its safety.
Comparatively, UAE residents are more likely than KSA residents to trust Pfizer for its safety (76 percent vs 71 percent).
Across the region, the level of trust in Pfizer’s safety is high. However, there are differences within age groups. Adults between 25-34 years are more likely to trust the vaccine, but trust is lower among the youngest age group (18-24 years). This is more common among young adults in KSA, where only 66 percent say they consider Pfizer safe.
Residents who are married with children are more likely to trust the vaccine as compared to the single population (76 percent vs 71 percent). The difference is more prominent among KSA residents, where there is a nine-percentage point difference between the two cohorts (75 percent vs 66 percent).
Similarly, working residents in the two countries are more likely than the non-working public to trust the Pfizer vaccine (78 percent vs 65 percent).
After Pfizer, other vaccines UAE & KSA residents consider safe are Oxford’s AstraZeneca (62 percent), Sinopharm (53 percent) and Moderna (50 percent). Sputnik and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are perceived to be comparatively less safe.
Although vaccines such as Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have been approved for use in both countries, they are thought to be safer by the residents of UAE than KSA.