Determination of Factors Affecting Covid-19 Vaccine Literacy and in Pandemics Vaccine Hesitation Levels of Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Dilay AÇIL¹*, Ayşe ÇAL², Burcu CENGİZ³

1. Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Manisa Celal Bayar University
2. Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara Medipol University
3. Department of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Dokuz Eylül University

*Correspondence: Dilay AÇIL; E-mail: dilayacil@yahoo.com

Abstract
Background
The vaccination status and risk perception towards the vaccine of individuals varies according to their level of knowledge about the vaccine. But the anti-vaccination or vaccine hesitancy movement that has emerged in pandemic period. It was aimed to evaluate the factors affecting Covid-19 vaccine literacy and vaccine hesitation levels of adults in pandemics.
Methods
This study was conducted with individuals working in a public institution between June and September 2022 as a cross-sectional design (n=435). The data were collected through the Introductory Information Form, the Covid-19 Vaccine Literacy Scale and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics.
Results
The rate of the participants who had the Covid-19 vaccine was found to be 96.8%. The total mean score of the Covid-19 Vaccine Literacy Scale was found to be 2.71±.49 and the Vaccine Hesitancy in Pandemics Scale total mean score to be 27.94±5.19. The Covid-19 vaccine literacy level of the participants had a statistically significant effect on the vaccine hesitancy in pandemics (p<.05). Vaccine hesitancy may be associated with many different variables; educational status and vaccine literacy are predictors of vaccine hesitancy.
Conclusion
Covid-19 vaccine literacy was found to be moderate in the group examined, and it affected the level of vaccine hesitancy and the predictors of them. It is crucial that the health professionals especially nurses and social media resources preferred by the society as a source of information convey accurate and up-to-date information to individuals. Nurses should be a facilitator for community getting right and currrent knowledge of vaccines via social media, face to face contact, scientific programmes.

Key Words: Vaccine literacy, Vaccine hesitancy, Covid-19 vaccine.