Aim The frequency of vaccine refusal and hesitation, which is associated with many factors, is increasing worldwide. The purpose of this study is to estimate the frequency of vaccine refusal against COVID‐19 vaccines and to identify the underlying factors for refusal or hesitation. Materials and Methods This is a cross‐sectional study carried out in a district of Istanbul between 25‐30 December 2020. A sample of people between the ages of 20‐85 in the district was selected, and a total of 384 people were enrolled. A questionnaire about the COVID‐19 vaccine was administered to the participants by phone. The questionnaire consisted of questions about the sociodemographic characteristics of participants and their thoughts about possible COVID‐19 vaccines. Results 45.3% of the participants were hesitant about getting the COVID‐19 vaccine, which was declared appropriate by the Ministry of Health. The rate of those who think that the COVID‐19 vaccine will be effective in preventing and controlling the disease was 51.6%. 89.6% of the participants were hesitant about getting their children vaccinated. Those who do not consider COVID‐19 disease as a risk to their health were 22.9%, and 32.8% thought that they would be protected from the disease by natural and traditional ways. The median score of the participants' risk perception was 7 (IQR: 6‐8; Mean: 6.8; SD: 1.7). The median value of risk perception score of those who accept the vaccine was 6 (IQR: 4‐6), while the median value for those who did not accept the vaccine was 4 (IQR: 4‐6) (p <0.01). Factors affecting vaccine acceptance were determined as the perception of risk (OR: 1.26% 95CI 1.03‐1.55) and age (OR: 0.94% 95CI: 0.91‐0.98) in logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Half of the participants were hesitant about the COVID‐19 vaccines. The success of COVID‐19 vaccination programs largely depends on the public willingness to accept the vaccine.

Objectives This study aimed to determine the COVID-19 risk perceptions, vaccination intentions and predictive factors of family physicians and family healthcare staff working in primary care in Üsküdar. Design A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire to determine the demographic and general characteristics of the participants and their willingness to be vaccinated. Setting An online questionnaire was applied to family physicians and family health workers working in primary care family health centres in Üsküdar between 25 and 29 December 2020. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of the willingness of individuals to be vaccinated. Participants Out of 323 health workers working in 44 family health centres in the district, a total of 276 health workers were reached, including 126 physicians (n=158, 79.7%) and 150 midwives/nurses (n=165, 90.9%) (response rate 85.4%). Results 50.4% (n=139) of the healthcare workers were willing to have the COVID-19 vaccine, 29% (n=80) were undecided and 20.7% (n=57) refused the vaccine. The rate of acceptance to be vaccinated was higher in physicians, in men and in those who had not received a seasonal influenza vaccination regularly each year. Conclusions Half of the primary healthcare workers, one of the high-risk groups in the pandemic, were hesitant or refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19. Knowing the factors affecting the vaccine acceptance rates of healthcare professionals can be considered one of the most strategic moves in reaching the target of high community vaccination rates. For evidence-based planning in vaccination studies, there is a need to investigate the reasons for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance by healthcare workers at all levels.

Çalışmada, üçüncü basamak bir hastaneye başvuran 40-65 yaş aralığındaki kadınlarda menopoz farkındalığını, menopoza girenlerde semptom şiddetini ölçmek ve semptomlarla başa çıkma yöntemleri ile yöntem seçiminde başvurdukları kaynakları belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Başvuran 292 kadının 272’sine (%93) ulaşıldı. Katılımcılara bir anket ve Menopoz Semptomlarını Değerlendirme Ölçeği (MRS) yüz yüze uygulandı. Yaş ortalaması 50,1±6,5’dir. Kadınların MRS’den aldıkları toplam puan ortalaması 16,6±8,9’dur. Ölçeğin alt boyut puan ortalamaları: somatik alt boyut için 6,2±3,5, psikolojik alt boyut için 6,5±3,7 ve ürogenital alt boyutunda 3,8±2,7’dir. Çalışma grubunda en çok görülen menopoz semptomları; fiziksel ve zihinsel yorgunluk (%84,0)’tur. MRS uygulanan kadınların 79’unda (%46,7) ciddi menopozal semptom olduğu saptanmıştır. Ortalama aylık geliri 2000 TL veya altında olan ve kronik hastalığı olan kadınların şiddetli menopoz semptomları sıklığı daha yüksektir. En çok tercih edilen başa çıkma yöntemi, doktora/sağlık kuruluşuna başvurma 103(%60,9)’dır. Menopoz hakkında farkındalığı arttırmak için yapılandırılmış eğitim programları hazırlanmalı ve uygulanmalıdır.

Pandemics are amongst the most destructive disasters to have afflicted humankind through history. These disasters entail a disproportionate effect on refugee populations, who are already in a state of high vulnerability. This study aims to assess the perception of risk of COVID-19 in the refugee populations in Turkey, in addition to evaluating anxiety levels during the pandemic. The participants of this study were refugees enrolled in a local nonprofit organization in Istanbul. They were asked to complete questionnaires which asked about COVID-19 and any self-protection measures. The questionnaire also incorporated the General Anxiety Disorder-7 screening test. In this young, male and mostly unemployed population, knowing someone who experienced COVID-19 was associated with a greater likelihood of compliance with hygiene and physical distancing measures. Anxiety levels were above 29%, and the highest scores were in the age group between 25 and 55 years. We argue that comprehensive public health measures against COVID-19 should include focused interventions for refugee populations that take the extra vulnerability (health, financial, and other) into account.

Health literacy is an important determinant of health care use among refugees and migrant communities. This present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between health literacy levels, sociodemographic characteristics, and the status of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Syrians under “Temporary Protection” in Istanbul. This study was conducted in February, March, and May 2022 in an Extended Migrant Health Center in Istanbul, with a survey prepared in Arabic under observation. A total of 571 questionnaires were analyzed. The mean age of the participants was 31.92 ± 6.14, and 80.7% were female and 26.6% were high school graduates. A total of 55.0% of Syrians have not had any of the COVID-19 vaccines. The health literacy level of 1.1% of the immigrants was determined as “excellent”, 68.7% as “inadequate”, 20.7% as “problematic/limited”, and 9.6% as “adequate”. According to the logistic regression model, being male, of elder age, middle and above economic status, and having a chronic disease in the family were determined as the variables associated with the status of being vaccinated against COVID-19. Refugees are a group often exposed to inequalities in access to health services. Increasing health literacy in these groups will provide a significant improvement in access to and use of health services.