Salman Ashfaq Ahmad

Dr. Salman Ashfaq Ahmad

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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30 November 2023 in The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MIMuhammad Imran
Muhammad Imran
ZAZeeshan Ahmed
Zeeshan Ahmed
Azfar IshaquiAzfar Ishaqui
Azfar Ishaqui
DBDuaa Bafail
Duaa Bafail
SASalman Ashfaq
Salman Ashfaq
MMMuhammad Bilal Maqsood
Muhammad Bilal Maqsood
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019 results in respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Elderly patients are at high risk. Preventive measures like avoiding contact with COVID-19 patients and wearing N95 masks can contribute to reducing the risk of infection, but vaccination remains crucial. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among the elderly population (≥ 50 years) in Pakistan. A 16-items questionnaire explored the socio-demographic profile of the participants, including questions about their age, gender, etc. The other sections included questions regarding vaccine registration, vaccine acceptance, and hesitation and fears towards vaccines. The items were developed to collect the data on the basis of the Likert scale. Results: There was a total of 3059 respondents. The majority of the participants (n = 2726, 89.1%) were aged below 70 years, while 10.9% (n = 333) were aged above 70 years. Many participants (47.1%) expressed their concerns about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. Despite their willingness to vaccinate with the cOVID-19 vaccine, 24.7% female participants expressed concerns related to the safety of the vaccine. Among all the respondents, 23.1% participants had no concerns about the cOVID-19 vaccine booster dose. The study identified a reluctance and lack of confidence in the efficiency of the COVID-19 booster dose. Conclusions: The alarming situation is rigidity towards vaccination among the elderly population. Necessary measures must be taken by the health department of Pakistan to manage this reluctant behavior and increase confidence on the efficiency of the COVID-19 booster dose.