Open AccessVACCINE CONFIDENCE IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA IN LIGHT OF RECENT UPSURGE IN POLIO CASES: A VIEW BY PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION- KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
Author(s) -
Zawar Ali,
Saima Abid,
Imtiaz Ali Shah,
Maqsood Ali,
Abu Zar Taizai
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
khyber medical university journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2305-2651
pISSN - 2305-2643
DOI - 10.35845/kmuj.2019.19318
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , medicine , government (linguistics) , vaccination , immunization , population , polio vaccine , public relations , public health , ebola vaccine , health care , poliomyelitis , family medicine , environmental health , immunology , pediatrics , nursing , political science , virology , law , outbreak , paleontology , philosophy , linguistics , ebola virus , antigen , biology
Vaccine hesitancy as defined by World Health Organization (WHO) refers to “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite availability of vaccination services. Vaccine hesitancy is complex and context specific, varying across time, place and vaccines. It is influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence.”1 Vaccine hesitancy is a multidimensional complex phenomenon with many determinants.2,3 It is usually seen amongst specific subgroups of population within a country and have certain context. Vaccine hesitancy is not always related to one specific vaccine. Sometimes it is against immunization in general. It is important to understand who is hesitant towards vaccines or the immunization program and why.4 Many models are available to understand and help elucidate this phenomenon. WHO has adopted “the 3C model” as it is readily understandable and has incorporated the themes in its definition as well i.e. complacency, convenience and confidence.5 Complacency and convenience are important determinants of vaccine hesitancy, in this write up we will keep ourselves limited to discussion on vaccine confidence. Vaccine confidence implies “trust in the vaccine (the product), trust in the vaccinator or other health professional (the provider), and trust in those who make the decisions about vaccine provision (the policy-maker).” It is the trust of the public not only on the vaccine itself but also the healthcare workers and the government that leads to vaccine confidence.