Parents' opinions on childhood vaccinations and an evaluation of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy

Objective: This study aimed to examine the opinions of parents with children aged 0–4 years who applied to Family Health Centers in Afyonkarahisar regarding childhood vaccinations, and to identify the main factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between July and October 2024 with 351 parents from nine centers of varied sociodemographic background. A questionnaire and the Vaccine Opposition Scale were administered face-to-face. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 (p<0.05). Results: Of the participants, 81.2% were mothers, with an average of 2.02±1.02 children. While 36.8% had sufficient vaccine knowledge, 50.1% reported limited, and 13.1% no knowledge. Health institutions (76.9%) and social media (34.2%) were key information sources. Higher knowledge levels were linked to lower vaccine opposition scores (p<0.001). Health workers had more positive attitudes (p<0.001). As education increased, justification of vaccine hesitancy decreased, though highly educated mothers showed more safety concerns (p=0.03). Urban residents held more positive views (p<0.05). Vaccination rates were high (94.6%), while non-vaccination reasons included perceived lack of need and side effect concerns. Paid vaccines were chosen by 19.1%, with rotavirus being the most common (89.6%). Conclusion: The majority of parents believe in the benefits of childhood vaccinations. Vaccine opposition is low, and the tendency to seek alternative methods remains limited. Keywords: Family medicine, Vaccination Hesitancy, Vaccination Refusal, Vaccination, Preventive Medicine