Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

A Mixed Method Study to Assess the Knowledge and Perceptions around Polio and Its Immunization in Pakistan

Muhammad Atif Habib
,
Farhana Tabassum
,
Imtiaz Hussain
,
Tooba Jawed
ORCID logo ,
Nazia Syed
,
Fariha Shaheen
,
Sajid Bashir Soofi
ORCID logo ,
Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 11 April 2023 / Approved: 12 April 2023 / Online: 12 April 2023 (02:25:39 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Habib, M.A.; Tabassum, F.; Hussain, I.; Khan, T.J.; Syed, N.; Shaheen, F.; Soofi, S.B.; Bhutta, Z.A. Exploring Knowledge and Perceptions of Polio Disease and Its Immunization in Polio High-Risk Areas of Pakistan. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1206. Habib, M.A.; Tabassum, F.; Hussain, I.; Khan, T.J.; Syed, N.; Shaheen, F.; Soofi, S.B.; Bhutta, Z.A. Exploring Knowledge and Perceptions of Polio Disease and Its Immunization in Polio High-Risk Areas of Pakistan. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1206.

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the few countries where poliovirus transmission still persists, despite intensive efforts to eradicate the disease. Adequate vaccination coverage is essential to achieve polio eradication, but misconceptions about polio vaccines have hindered vaccination efforts. To address this issue, we conducted a mixed-methods study to explore knowledge and perceptions regarding polio disease and immunization in high-risk areas of Pakistan. We collected quantitative data from 3780, 1258, and 2100 households in Karachi, Bajaur, and Pishin, respectively, and supplemented this with qualitative data from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Our findings reveal a high level of awareness about polio and its immunization; however, misperceptions about the polio vaccine persist, leading to vaccine refusal for both polio and routine immunization. Our study provides up-to-date data on knowledge and perceptions of polio and its immunization and identifies critical gaps. These findings can inform the development of future strategies and innovative approaches to improve the success of the polio program in Pakistan.

Keywords

Polio; polio immunization; knowledge and perceptions; Pakistan

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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