Abstract
Despite ongoing Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) activities, immunization coverage (IC) in rural areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remains below the herd-immunity threshold of 95%. This study assessed the perceived influence of media campaigns on immunization awareness among rural caregivers in Muzaffarabad and examined methodological implications of WhatsApp-based data collection in a partially connected population. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 300 parents/caregivers of children under five, using a WHO 30 × 10 cluster design across 30 rural Union Councils. Households were identified in person by Lady Health Workers (LHWs); the structured questionnaire was then administered via WhatsApp. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and chi-square tests were computed in IBM SPSS v.25. Social media was the most frequently used source of health information (M = 4.08), and awareness (M = 3.72) and perceived campaign effectiveness (M = 3.76) were moderately high. Media exposure was positively associated with awareness (r = 0.363, p < .001), and awareness was strongly associated with perceived effectiveness (r = 0.720, p < .001). The sample's self-reported vaccination rate (98.67%) was substantially higher than the district's official baseline (82%); we interpret this gap cautiously as consistent with, though not conclusive proof of, selection bias associated with digital survey administration, given the study's cross-sectional design and lack of a non-digital comparison arm. We propose a Hybrid Communication Model integrating social media, religious networks, and community health workers to strengthen immunization communication in rural AJK.