Khan Misha, Jabeen Sidra, Khizer Ali Syed, Tofique Muhammad Huzaifa, Shabbir Muhammad Saad, Baig Rooha, Khalili Muhammad Naheel, Kumar Satesh, Khatri Mahima, Varrassi Giustino, Sapna Fnu, Dass Arjan, Kumar Nomesh
Medicine and Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi, PAK.
Neurosurgery, Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi, PAK.
Cureus. 2023 Jun 12;15(6):e40284. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40284. eCollection 2023 Jun.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has deteriorated the healthcare system and economy worldwide. Globally, by making the primary vaccination against the coronavirus necessary, the surge in cases waned, but as the effects of this vaccination decreased after some time, to prevent another pandemic, vaccination was still necessary. As a result, receiving a COVID-19 booster shot can boost immunity against the coronavirus. This study aimed to assess knowledge of COVID-19 booster vaccines in Pakistan among the general public and understand the factors affecting the vaccination process in the state. In this cross-sectional study, non-probability convenience sampling was done. Its physical data collection was conducted in September 2022 in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Data were collected from 384 individuals who visited the hospital with consent before filling out the questionnaire. The mean age of respondents was 35.81 (standard deviation (SD) = ±13.006), and 98.7% of individuals were primarily vaccinated for COVID-19, but out of these, only 60.1% received the booster jab. The most commonly reported side effects of primary doses of COVID-19 and its booster were pain at the injection site, fatigue, and fever, but these effects did not appear to have as much of an impact on the vaccination process as education did. The results are evident that out of primarily vaccinated individuals against COVID-19, 40.16% are reluctant to receive its booster. Therefore, it is essential to create awareness among the masses about vaccination and its importance.
2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行使全球医疗系统和经济恶化。在全球范围内，通过使冠状病毒的初次疫苗接种成为必要，病例激增的情况有所缓解，但随着这种疫苗接种的效果在一段时间后减弱，为防止再次出现大流行，疫苗接种仍然是必要的。因此，接种COVID-19加强针可以增强对冠状病毒的免疫力。本研究旨在评估巴基斯坦普通公众对COVID-19加强疫苗的了解，并了解影响该邦疫苗接种过程的因素。在这项横断面研究中，采用了非概率便利抽样。其实际数据收集于2022年9月在巴基斯坦卡拉奇的一家三级护理医院进行。数据收集自384名在填写问卷前经同意前来医院就诊的个体。受访者的平均年龄为35.81岁（标准差（SD）=±13.006），98.7%的个体已接种COVID-19的初次疫苗，但其中只有60.1%接种了加强针。COVID-19初次剂量及其加强针最常报告的副作用是注射部位疼痛、疲劳和发烧，但这些副作用对疫苗接种过程的影响似乎不如教育的影响大。结果表明，在已接种COVID-19初次疫苗的个体中，40.16%不愿意接种加强针。因此，有必要在群众中提高对疫苗接种及其重要性的认识。
