Knowledge, thoughts, and behaviors of healthcare workers regarding vaccination in family health centers in Etimesgut district of Ankara

This research was conducted to determine the demographic characteristics, vaccine and cold chain-related knowledge, and vaccination-related trust and doubt-related thoughts of healthcare workers working in primary healthcare institutions. It is a descriptive epidemiological study. A total of 347 healthcare workers actively working in 44 Family Health Centers in the Etimesgut district were included in the study, and 224 participants were reached (%64 participation rate). Participants completed the data collection form online. Of the healthcare workers participating in the study, 83.9% were women, with an average age of 42.3 and an average duration of 7.05 years in the Family Health Centers. The majority of participants (83.5%) were healthcare workers with vaccine or cold chain responsibilities. Healthcare workers had sufficient knowledge about the required intervals between vaccinations and cold chain management, but a small portion knew that aspiration (41.1%) and wearing gloves (22.8%) were not necessary during vaccination. Regular influenza vaccination was reported by 20.5% in the last five years, and 46.9% in the 2021/2022 season. The most common reason for not getting vaccinated was the belief that vaccines were unnecessary (59.1%) and ineffective (19.1%). The most frequently recommended vaccines for their patients were Td (95.1%), hepatitis B (80.4%), and influenza (78.1%). The most frequently inquired patient groups for vaccination were pregnant women and high-risk patients, while vaccination inquiries for those aged 65 and over were the lowest (71.0%). 29.0% of the participants agreed or were undecided that the measles vaccine triggered autism. The most common positive opinions about vaccines included adult vaccination as a good protection method (97.3%) and the safety of vaccines (83.0%), while trust in vaccine-producing companies was at a level of 41.5%. It was found that nurses were more knowledgeable about vaccination practices, doctors had more positive views on adult vaccination, and influenza vaccination behaviors were higher (p<0.05).