ABSTRACT
@#The objective of this study was to assess misconceptions, hesitancy and efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccine among Faculty, House Officers (HO) and Postgraduates (PG) dental trainees towards the novel COVID-19 vaccine and to assess the association between COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and conspiracy beliefs. A cross sectional study was conducted on 150 participants from Sardar Begum Dental hospital, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A self-administered questionnaire was developed with questions related to perception of participants regarding misconceptions, safety, hesitancy and efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccination. The questionnaire comprised of 26 closed-ended questions. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistical package 26.0. More than half of the participants (87.3%) reported to be tested positive for COVID-19 at some point. Majority of participants (87.3%) reported that they were vaccinated and 86.7% reported that they had post-vaccination reactions such as pain in arm, fever and body aches. A notable number of participants that were part of the study believed in the misconceptions related to the COVID-19 vaccine. This study concluded that despite widespread vaccination awareness campaigns, significant number of dental surgeons believed in misconceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccination that may pose a significant challenge to Pakistan's COVID-19 immunization program.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status of internally displaced persons from Bajaur Agency living in Jalozai Internally Displaced Persons camp, in Pakistan and to identify the barriers leading to unmet treatment needs. It was a descriptive analytical study, carried out at Jalozai Internally Displaced Persons camp. A total number of 400 individuals were studied. A WHO oral health assessment tool was modified and used while a separate questionnaire was developed to identify barriers to seek dental care. Oral mucosal infections were present in 31.8% of the studied population with oral ulcerations being the commonest. Prevalence of periodontal infections was 69%. The DMFT value for the population was 3.92%. Majority of the population relied upon self treatment. Financial reasons were considered by 74.2% of the subjects to be the most common barrier for unmet treatment needs. The high prevalence of caries, periodontal infections, oral mucosal infections as well as barriers to unmet oral health needs pose a significant threat to the overall health of the Internally Displaced Persons from Bajaur Agency