Abstract
Aim: Practices such as the use of masks, cleaning measures, and social
distancing have come to the fore to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. In
addition to this, the most important way to fight the epidemic seems to
be vaccination. However, “vaccine hesitancy” is seen as an important
obstacle to attempts to control the pandemic. With this study, we have
aimed to evaluate the effects of having inadequate or incorrect
information, one of the possible determinants of attitudes towards the
COVID-19 vaccine. Study Design: A cross-sectional design was used.
Methods: The data were collected via an online questionnaire from
patients who agreed to participate in the study. Sociodemographic Data
Form, Turkey Health Literacy Scale-32 (THLS-32) and Anti-Vaccine Scale
are filled by 496 participants in total. Results: According to the
results of our study, 7.5% of the participants stated that they would
not be vaccinated and 14.3% are indecisive. We have found a negative
correlation between vaccine refusal and health literacy, thus confirming
the main hypothesis of our study. Also, education year was a negative
predictor of vaccine hesitation. Conclusions: Currently, the most
important approach in fighting the pandemic is the vaccination of
society. Having the right information is extremely important to fight
vaccine refusal attitudes. The fight against vaccination requires joint
efforts from governments and media resources, including social media.