COVID-19 Vaccine its Perception and Hesitancy among the General Adult Population in Pakistan
Abstract
To determine the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine among the general adult population in Pakistan and determine the causes of hesitancy regarding its administration.Methods
An internet-based cross-sectional survey was designed and conducted by including adult population in Pakistan (n = 1044; aged ≥ 18 years). A detailed questionnaire in English language was circulated on social media platforms along with snowball sampling for diversity of results.Results
Among the 1044 responses, 828 (79.3%) were willing to get COVID-19 vaccination once available and 20.7% rejected being vaccinated. Vaccine acceptance was more in the elderly and male gender (87.3%). Acceptance rate was also higher in highly educated people as compared to other population. The reason for rejecting vaccine in most people was lack of sufficient information (18.9%) and safety concerns (15.6%).Conclusion
On an overall basis, 79.3% of the study partakers showed inclination towards getting vaccinated against COVID-19. An overall high acceptance rate was detected which favors a successful and effective nationwide vaccination program in Pakistan. As acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine will prove to be of pivotal importance in the control of COVID-19 pandemic, aspects related to low vaccine acceptance must be instantly addressed by public health authorities.Keywords:
COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine acceptance, vaccine hesitancy.Published
2022/06/16
Issue
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