Barriers and Beliefs Related to Covid-19 Vaccine in a Rural Area of Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract: Background: After the corona virus outbreak, a new challenge has presented itself in the form of vaccine hesitancy, a decision which stems from personal beliefs and perceptions, which may lead to the prevalence of a disease that can otherwise easily dealt with. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the barriers and beliefs related to COVID-19 vaccine in a rural area of Peshawar, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2021 to October 2021 on a population from rural areas of Peshawar with a non-probability convenience sampling technique. An interview based self-administered questionnaire was used with questions regarding beliefs and about the COVID-19 vaccine as well as their vaccination status. An SPSS software was used to analyze the data for descriptive as well as inferential statistics. Results: A total of 526 people from the rural area participated in our study with 73% males (n = 384) and 27% females (n = 142). Only 23.6% got vaccinated voluntarily, 8% agreed that there was enough information available regarding the vaccine to trust, around 17.5% agreed the vaccine does not cause adverse reactions, only 15.6% believed that the vaccine had no unknown side effects, 22.1% trusted the vaccine to be effective in combating the coronavirus while 54.4% believed it to be a conspiracy. Conclusion: Vaccine hesitancy was quite profound which was caused by the amalgamation of many negative beliefs based on claims that had no sound basis. A great confusion surrounds the COVID-19 vaccine for the people of the rural area who are concerned about various aspects of the vaccine.