Assessment of vaccine knowledge and behavior in Turkish society during COVID-19 pandemic

Assessment of Vaccine Knowledge and Behavior in Turkish Society during COVID-19 Pandemic Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of anxiety in Turkish society during COVID-19 pandemic, to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of Turkish people about vaccine including the sources of knowledge and learn the vaccine acceptance rates for COVID-19 vaccines. Material and Methods: We analyzed data of 2032 participants from all over Turkey between 5 October 2020 and 1 November 2020. The data was collected via an online questionnaire announced in various social media platforms and the media. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS pocket program. The level of significance was accepted as p<0.05 and the level of high significance as p<0.01. Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.47±12.11 years, and 62% (n=1260) were female. Anxiety levels about COVID-19 pandemic was 3.56±2.14 (min 1, max 10), vaccine knowledge and vaccination behavior was 1.68±0.32 (min 1, max 5), parental awareness and parental behavior for child vaccination was 2.51±0.32 (min 1, max 5), concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness was 2.56±1.05 (min 1, max 5), vaccine awareness in Turkish society was 3.74±0.73 (min 1, max 5), and COVID-19 vaccine behavior was 3.52±1.0 (min 1, max 5). Of participants, 51.3% (n=1006) stated that they might have their COVID-19 vaccines. It was found that 20.9% (n=424) of participants had no concerns about COVID-19 vaccine, and the rest of the participants had concerns about vaccine safety in the first line (27.9%, n=506). Conclusion: Concerns about COVID-19 vaccine safety, effectiveness and vaccination behavior had significant relationship with gender. There was significant relationship between vaccination attitude and behavior and educational status. Concerns about COVID-19 fatality and pandemic were inversely related with age. Participants often expressed mistrust towards information given by their family physicians. The acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine was directly related to anxiety about the virus. Vaccination awareness and behavior can be improved with gender- and age-specific interventions. Otherwise, current COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate will not be enough for herd immunity. Keywords: Turkish Society, Vaccine Awareness and Behavior, COVID-19 Pandemic, Family Medicine