COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Jordan is Becoming an Obstacle Toward Achieving Immunity

Background: Vaccination is currently considered the major hope to slow down the spread of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, the biggest obstacle against mass vaccination is that people are reluctant to take the vaccine. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the acceptance and hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine among the general population in Jordan. In addition, the study explores the possible causes of vaccine refusal and the possible associated factors. Methods: The study was conducted by using an online survey distributed in March 2021. It is composed of items that assess the respondent characteristics and their acceptance to the vaccine. Results: A total of 3728 respondents completed the survey. The majority of respondents 60.5% (n = 2255) didn’t register to the platform to take the vaccine, most of them (54.77% were not convinced with the effectiveness of the vaccine). People who work in the health care sector and people with chronic diseases were found to be more likely to receive the vaccine, whereas previously COVID-19 infected and possibly exposed patients both showed hesitancy to sign up for the vaccine. Conclusion: The effectiveness and safety of different vaccines should be widely available to the general population, and be scientifically explained in a simple trustful way. In addition, more awareness programs probably need to target the hesitant groups, including the previously infected patients.