Jeelo Dobara (Live Life Again): a cross-sectional survey to understand the use of social media and community experience and perceptions around COVID-19 vaccine uptake in three low vaccine uptake districts in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

ObjectiveTo gather preliminary insights through formative research on social media usage, and experiences, attitudes and perceptions around COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination in three high-risk, underserved districts in Karachi, Pakistan.DesignCross-sectional mixed-method design.Participants392 adults (361 surveys and 30 in-depth interviews (IDI)) from districts South, East and Korangi in Karachi, Pakistan.Main outcome measuresSocial media usage and knowledge, perception and behaviour towards COVID-19 infection and vaccination.ResultsUsing social media was associated with an increased probability of getting vaccinated by 1.61 units. Most of the respondents (65%) reported using social media, mainly to watch videos and/or keep in touch with family/friends. 84.76% knew of COVID-19 while 88.37% knew about the COVID-19 vaccination, with 71.19% reported vaccine receipt; reasons to vaccinate included belief that vaccines protect from the virus, and vaccination being mandatory for work. However, only 56.7% of respondents believed they were at risk of disease. Of the 54 unvaccinated individuals, 27.78% did not vaccinate as they did not believe in COVID-19. Despite this, 78.38% of respondents scored high on vaccine confidence. In IDIs, most respondents knew about COVID-19 vaccines: ‘This vaccine will create immunity in your body. Therefore, I think we should get vaccinated’, and over half knew how COVID-19 spreads. Most considered COVID-19 a serious public health problem and thought it important that people get vaccinated. However, there was a low-risk perception of self as only a little over half felt that they were at risk of contracting COVID-19.ConclusionWith our conflicting results regarding COVID-19 vaccine confidence, that is, high vaccine coverage but low perception of risk to self, it is likely that vaccine coverage is more a result of mandates and coercion than true vaccine confidence. Our findings imply that interactive social media could be valuable in fostering provaccine sentiment.

Willingness to accept monkeypox vaccine and its correlates among men who have sex with men in Southern China: a web-based online cross-sectional study

“…Moreover, MSM predominantly utilizes social media platforms to seek sexual partners and have extensive and interconnected social networks. Previous studies have also highlighted the role of social media in shaping vaccination decisions ( 48 , 49 ). Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize vaccination efforts and engage individuals who are similar to the MSM population.…”