Abstract
Objectives: Estimating the uptake rate of seasonal influenza vaccine among type 2 diabetic patients and determining diabetes-related factors associated with influenza vaccination uptake among type 2 diabetic patients attending the diabetic centre in Arar city, 2019. Methodology: A cross-sectional study conducted over one year in Arar, KSA, included all diabetic patients T2DM (>= 18years) attending the diabetic centre using a pre-designed questionnaire to fulfil the study's objective. Results: Of 357 participants, 42.3% (151 participants) received a seasonal flu vaccination. The main reasons for taking seasonal flu vaccination were: the importance of vaccine in preventing influenza in 45.1%, health awareness through various media in 18.2%, other people's recommendation in 15.4%, and the recommendation of the attending physician or nursing in 32.8%. Reasons for abstaining from getting the seasonal flu vaccination were: Not being advised by doctors and nurses 16.5%, thought of vaccination as not important in 5.1%, 12.3% thought that vaccination isn't effective, 16.5% fear the side effects of vaccination, fear of stinging the vaccination in needle 3.1%, Thinking that vaccination led to infection in 5.3%, didn't think influenza is dangerous 11.5%, 20.4% think that the flu vaccination is not important and fear of the side effects of vaccination in 16.5%. Conclusion: The uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia is relatively low, with no previous papers in Arar region discussing the same problem. We found a significant correlation between receiving seasonal influenza vaccine and age, gender, gender, educational level, working status, and commitment to diabetes treatment.