Examination of 13-year-old td vaccination levels and reasons for not vaccinating after the July 1, 2020 regulation

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine to what extent the vaccination regulation changes the Td vaccination level by looking at the Td vaccination level of people born between 2004-2009 in Şanlıurfa city center and to examine the reasons why children born after 01.07.2007 do not receive the Td vaccine. Method: This research is of case-control type and was conducted in October 2024. The study was conducted in 4 high schools in the Zeytindalı Education Campus in the Haliliye district of Şanlıurfa. The population of the study consists of individuals aged 13 years and older who need to receive Td vaccination in the city center of Şanlıurfa. The sampling frame and sample size were based on literature information about possible related factors, and the optimum sample size for factor exposure dimensions was calculated in the EpiInfo StatCalc computer program. Participants were interviewed face to face and a questionnaire was filled out by the participants, which evaluated their sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination characteristics, and their knowledge, behavior, and attitudes about vaccines. While those who did not receive the Td vaccine formed the case group, those who received the Td vaccine formed the control group. Results: Of the 1,007 participants in this study, 518 (51,4%) were men and 489 (48,6%) were women. There was no significant difference in terms of gender between the groups who received Td vaccine and those who did not. It was observed that 89,5% of those who received the Td vaccine also received other vaccines, while 83% of those who did not receive the Td vaccine received other vaccines. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of receiving other vaccines. When we look at the reasons why people who have not received the Td vaccine have not received the Td vaccine, 115 (51,3%) of them stated that they did not have the Td vaccine because they were not aware of it. While 51 (22,8%) of the people stated that they did not get the Td vaccine because they did not have time, 21 (9,4%) people xi stated that they did not get the Td vaccine because they did not find the vaccine necessary. When the information sources of those who received the Td vaccine and those who did not receive the Td vaccine were compared, a significant difference was found between the groups in terms of using the media as a source of information and whether the source of information was a healthcare worker. Conclusion: 22,2% of high school students who were old enough to receive the Td vaccine had not received the Td vaccine. The most common reason for not getting the Td vaccine was that the participants were not aware that they had to get vaccinated. It was seen that the distance to the place to be vaccinated, the time it took to go to the place to be vaccinated or the waiting time, and the cost of going to the place to be vaccinated were more effective in terms of not getting vaccinated in the group that did not receive the Td vaccine. Key Words: Tetanus, vaccine refusal, vaccine hesitancy, childhood vaccines