The Assessment of the Knowledge About Adult Vaccine, And Vaccination Coverage in Adults Aged 18 and Older In Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: Vaccinations are accepted as being one of the most effective methods for protecting health and preventing illness. The purpose of this study is to assess the vaccination coverage of the adults aged 18 and older, who have made an application to the Family Medicine polyclinics in Antalya, Turkey, as well as their knowledge and desire to obtain knowledge concerning vaccinations. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study has been conducted by way of face-to-face questioning. The statistical analyses have been performed using SPSS ver. 22.0. The sample size has been calculated as 400, with the “OpenEpi.Version 3 Open Source Calculator”. The Chi-Square, Kruksal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation analysis were used. Results: A total of 445 people participated in the study. Vaccination coverage for the participants was 10.8 for influenza on a regularly every year, 24,3% for tetanus and diphtheria (Td) on regularly every ten years, 30.3% for hepatitis B, 6.0% for pneumococcal vaccine. The most frequent reason cited for not getting vaccinations was a lack of knowledge. About 65% of the participants stated that they wished to be informed about adult vaccinations by their family practitioners. Conclusion: Vaccinations are the cornerstone of being protected against infectious diseases. In our region adults do not have sufficient information concerning the vaccinations which are necessary during adulthood, and their vaccination coverage are lower than the desired targets.

Key words: Vaccination coverage, adult immunization, knowledge.

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/5-5-03