Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39869589›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2025

Navigating the shots: Parental willingness to immunize their children with COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia explored through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Moustafa Abdelaal Hegazi, Mohamed Hesham Sayed, Nadeem Shafique Butt, Turki Saad Alahmadi, Nadeem Alam Zubairi, Wesam Abdelaziz Elson

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Moustafa Abdelaal HegaziFaculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-2135-1881
Mohamed Hesham SayedFaculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nadeem Shafique ButtFaculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Department of Family and Community Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-0473-4920
Turki Saad AlahmadiFaculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nadeem Alam ZubairiFaculty of Medicine in Rabigh, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Wesam Abdelaziz ElsonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nahdi Care Clinics, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAlthough COVID-19 vaccines have been recommended for children and adolescents since 2021, suboptimal vaccination uptake has been documented. No previous systematic review/meta-analysis (SRMA) investigated parents' willingness to administer COVID-19 vaccines for their children in Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, this SRMA aimed to estimate parents' willingness to immunize their children with COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia and to identify reasons and determinants influencing parents' decisions.

methodsThis SRMA adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and the protocol was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023492760). An extensive systematic search was performed across electronic databases including Pub Med, Pub Med Central, ISI Web of science, Web of Science Core Collection, Medline, KCI-Korean Journal Database, ProQuest, and SciELO, to identify relevant studies published from January 1, 2020 to October 30, 2023. A random-effects model was utilized to estimate the pooled effects considering the expected variability across studies. Heterogeneity, risk of bias, publication bias and quality of studies were considered and evaluated by relevant appropriate tests to ensure robust results.

resultsTwenty-five studies with 30,844 parents were included. The overall pooled rate of parents who intended to immunize their children with COVID-19 vaccines was 48.0% (95% CI: 41.0-54.0%) with high heterogeneity (I2 = 99.42%). The main reason for parents to vaccinate children was to protect child, family and community from COVID-19. Perceived efficacy/safety of vaccines were the most significant determinants associated with parents' willingness to vaccinate children.

conclusionThis was the first SRMA from Saudi Arabia which emphasized the priority to focus on vaccine-related factors as main/key strategy of COVID-19 vaccines' drivers to convince parents in a logical way based on accurate cumulative and emerging scientific data about efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines to optimize their uptake by children/adolescents. This SRMA can provide valuable insights for development of evidence-based policies to improve parental willingness to vaccinate children, which is crucial for controlling SARS-CoV-2 spread and promoting herd immunity in the community particularly if the virus continues to pose a major threat.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesParentsVaccinationVaccination HesitancyAdolescentAdultChildHumansSARS-CoV-2Saudi ArabiaCOVID-19 Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID39869589
PMCPMC11771943

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.