Evaluation of vaccine hesitancy/refusal in Giresun province

Year 2024, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 109 - 116, 14.06.2024

Bekir Bulut , Ünal Özek , Muhammet Bulut , Berkan Şahin

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to determine the frequency of vaccine hesitancy/refusal specifically in the province of Giresun, identify the reasons behind these behaviors, and determine the factors that could influence families in making these decisions.

METHODS
The data for this study were obtained from 'Vaccine Refusal Form' filled in by family physicians and 'Vaccination Refusal Reasons Survey' (including data about gender, identity of the family member refusing vaccination, mother's education level, father's education level, mother's occupation, father's occupation, average monthly household income, type of vaccine refused, reasons for vaccine refusal) prepared by the Public Health Services Department of the Giresun Provincial Health Directorate is also filled out by families and sent to the Directorate at the end of each month along with the refusal forms. The study encompassed data from the years 2019 to 2023 inclusive.

RESULTS
The number of infants/children who had not received at least one vaccine due to family refusal was 98 in 2019, and this number increased each year, reaching 99, 184, 213, and 317 in the subsequent years. These children including 431 girls (47,3%) and 480 boys (52.7%). According to the live birth data and Birth Notification System information released for Giresun province, the rate of vaccine hesitancy/refusal calculated was 2.3% in 2019 and increased each year to 2.5%, 4.8%, 5.7%, and 8.9% for the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Vaccine hesitancy/refusal is emerging as a problem growing day by day, and remains significant regardless of the education level and occupation of those who engage in it, and regardless of which region or country they live in. Policies that can prevent misinformation on this subject should be developed and implemented swiftly.

Keywords

vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal, giresun

References

• T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı, Temel sağlık Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü, Genişletilmiş Bağışıklama Programı Genelgesi, 2008/14.
• Accessed: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-andimmunization#tab=tab_1, Access date: 23.11.2023.
• Aşı Reddi Sebepleri ve Aşı Retlerinin Normatif Etik Açıdan Değerlendirilmesi: Gaziosmanpaşa Mustafa Furuncu Aile Sağlığı Merkezi Örneğinde Niteliksel Bir Araştırma, Türkiye Klinikleri Tıp Etiği-Hukuku-Tarihi Dergisi, 2023;31(3): 171-83.
• Argüt, N., Yetim, A., Gökçay, E. G. (2016). Aşı kabulünü etkileyen faktörler. Çocuk Dergisi, 16(1–2): 16–24.
• Sadaf A, Richards JL, Glanz J, Salmon DA, Omer SB. A systematic review of interventions for reducing parental vaccine refusal and vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine. 2013;31(40):4293-4304. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.07.013
• T.C. Sağlık Bakanlığı Sağlık Bilgi Sistemleri Genel Müdürlüğü, Sağlık İstatistikleri Yıllığı Haber Bülteni 2022, Sayı: 11.
• Terzi Ö, Gülen EN, Dündar C. The causes of parental vaccine refusal: results of a survey from Giresun, Turkey. Turk J Pediatr. 2021;63(4):618-625. doi:10.24953/turkjped.2021.04.009
• Tekin Ç, Gökçe A, Boz G, Aslan M, Yiğit E. Reasons for parental hesitancy or refusal of childhood vaccination in Türkiye. East Mediterr Health J. 2023;29(5):343-353. doi:10.26719/emhj.23.059
• Türkiye Nüfus ve Sağlık Araştırması 2018, Ana Rapor. Accessed:https://hips.hacettepe.edu.tr/tr/2018_tnsa_analiz_ve_rapor-56, Access date: 20.02.2024
• Kurt O, Küçükkelepçe O, Öz E, Doğan Tiryaki H, Parlak ME. Childhood Vaccine Attitude and Refusal among Turkish Parents. Vaccines (Basel). 2023;11(8):1285. doi:10.3390/vaccines11081285
• Durmuş Sarıkahya S, Güden E, Sümeyye Yorulmaz D. Childhood vaccine hesitancy in two regions with different socioeconomic backgrounds in Turkey. Z Gesundh Wiss. Published online February 23, 2023. doi:10.1007/s10389-023-01854-z
• Soysal G, Akdur R. Investigating Vaccine Hesitancy and Refusal Among Parents of Children Under Five: A Communitybased Study. J Curr Pediatr. 2022;(20):339-48.
• Hasar M, Özer ZY, Bozdemir N. Aşı reddi nedenleri ve aşılar hakkındaki görüşler. Cukurova Med J. 2021;46(1):166-176. doi:10.17826/cumj.790733
• Cag Y, Al Madadha ME, Ankarali H, et al. Vaccine hesitancy and refusal among parents: An international ID-IRI survey. J Infect Dev Ctries. 2022;16(6):1081-1088. doi:10.3855/jidc.16085
• Byström E, Lindstrand A, Bergström J, Riesbeck K, Roth A. Confidence in the National Immunization Program among parents in Sweden 2016 - A cross-sectional survey. Vaccine. 2020;38(22):3909-3917. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.01.078
• Chang K, Lee SY. Why do some Korean parents hesitate to vaccinate their children?. Epidemiol Health. 2019;41:e2019031. doi:10.4178/epih.e2019031
• Bocquier A, Fressard L, Cortaredona S, et al. Social differentiation of vaccine hesitancy among French parents and the mediating role of trust and commitment to health: A nationwide cross-sectional study. Vaccine. 2018;36(50):7666-7673. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.10.085
• Bertoncello C, Ferro A, Fonzo M, et al. Socioeconomic Determinants in Vaccine Hesitancy and Vaccine Refusal in Italy. Vaccines (Basel). 2020;8(2):276. doi:10.3390/vaccines8020276