Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38087356›Full record

ArticleBMC proceedings2023

Pandemic disruptions in vaccine uptake in a low-income setting: a qualitative inquiry.

Fauzia Aman Malik, Nazia Ahsan, Rawshan Jabeen, Osama Afzal, Alysha Siddiqi, Ayub Khan, Kathryn L Hopkins, Abdul Momin Kazi

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC proceedings, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Fauzia Aman MalikPeter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Nazia AhsanDepartment of Paediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Rawshan JabeenDepartment of Paediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Osama AfzalDepartment of Paediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Alysha SiddiqiPeter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Ayub KhanDepartment of Paediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Kathryn L HopkinsSabin Vaccine Institute, Washington D.C, USA.
Abdul Momin KaziDepartment of Paediatrics & Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. momin.Kazi@aku.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8253-1777
Aga Khan University · PKSabin Vaccine Institute · USSouthwestern Medical Center · USYale University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of immunization delivery systems globally, the devastating impact of the pandemic on immunization delivery is most pronounced in low and middle-income countries like Pakistan. We conducted a qualitative study to capture the views and experiences of parents and healthcare workers (HWs) and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood routine immunization (CRI) and COVID-19 vaccination in Pakistan.

methodsWe used a qualitative research design with a purposive sampling approach. Semi-structured interviews (via telephone) and focus group discussions (via Zoom) were conducted with parents/child caregivers and HWs, respectively. All qualitative interviews were conducted between February and July 2021 from three sites (two urban and one rural) in Sindh, Pakistan. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded for a team-based thematic analysis.

resultsOverall, most parents and HWs indicated a strong trust in the benefits of CRI; nonetheless, a substantial disruption in the delivery and uptake of these services was also reported. The barriers towards CRI included closed vaccination centers, drastic reduction in outreach programs, lack of information for parents/child caregivers on vaccine availability, fear in the community regarding vaccine safety, limited vaccine supply, and a lack of healthcare staff. For COVID-19 vaccines, challenges cited included skepticism about the reality of the pandemic and confusion over COVID-19 vaccines due to conflicting (or mis-or-dis) information. Both participant groups showed a willingness to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into Pakistan's Expanded Program for Immunization if required in the future.

conclusionDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions of regular immunization delivery in Pakistan were not due to parental unwillingness to vaccinate, but rather to social and logistical challenges caused by a rapidly changing context and difficulties in providing vaccination services safely. Barriers to vaccine access and concerns about COVID-19 exposure during clinic visits also contributed to uncertainty regarding immunization services early in the pandemic. For catchup campaigns and future pandemics, more than focusing interventions on persuading people, strategic approaches to building resilience through system-based interventions, such as investing in surge capacity in the immunization workforce to bounce back quickly after the first shock are required.

Indexed as

COVID-19 pandemicCOVID-19 vaccinesImmunization systemsLMICResilient immunization systemRoutine childhood immunizationVaccine communication strategyVaccine hesitancy

Identifiers

PMID38087356
PMCPMC10716971
OpenAlexW4389629096

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.