Abstract
Background: Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in elderly adults or in those who have comorbidities and weak immunity can lead to significant health problems. Immunization against this infection plays a cost-effective role in the reduction of the burden of pneumonia on health. Aim: We aimed to determine the knowledge of and attitudes toward pneumonia and pneumococcal vaccination in older adults in residential home care centers (RHCCs). Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with an electronic interview questionnaire in RHCCs in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) between June 23 and July 23, 2018. A total of 265 individuals were accepted for participation in the study. We excluded those who were under 18 years old, and the sample comprised 258 participants. Result: A total of 77.5% of participants confirmed that they did not receive the vaccine, 22.5% stated that they did not know which vaccine they received, and no participants reported that they received the vaccine. Approximately half of the sample did not know about the pneumonia vaccine. We observed positive attitudes toward vaccination among older adults, despite their significant lack of knowledge about the pneumococcal vaccine. Conclusion: Healthcare workers are the only individuals involved in the patient-physician relationship who play a critical role in distributing vaccine-related knowledge, and their recommendations of the vaccine are lacking. However, the respondents are willing to be informed about the vaccination.