Awareness of Injectable Polio Vaccine among Doctors of Government Hospitals in Abbottabad

ABSTRACT

Introduction: IPV was introduced in areas of northern KPK, Quetta, and Karachi. The success of polio eradication and endgame strategic plan 2013-2018 depends upon doctors’ knowledge and approval of IPV. Aim of this study was to assess doctors’ knowledge and perception regarding IPV. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on doctors in government hospitals of Abbottabad, Pakistan from January 2017 to June 2017. A sample size of 250 was calculated using WHO sample size calculator at 95% confidence level. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data after taking informed consent. The analysis was done in SPSS version 21. Results: IPV’s advantage of being administered exclusively as well as a booster dose was known to 36%. Other merits of IPV like, no requirement of special cold chain storage and no incidence of VAPP (Vaccine Associated Poliomyelitis) was known by 7.6% and 56.54% respectively. Only 25% of doctors knew about latest endgame strategic plan 2013-2018 and National Emergency Action Plan. Conclusion: Doctor’s knowledge and acceptance regarding IPV was very low. Most of the doctors still preferred OPV over IPV as they fear injection pain due to IPV and are not much aware of IPV’s advantages over OPV. Thus clear-cut strategies need to be established for sensitization and education of doctors and correspondingly the masses regarding IPV.