Academic Journal
Changes in childhood vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study based on data from Turkey.
| Τίτλος: | Changes in childhood vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective study based on data from Turkey. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Özmen Sever S; Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Taksim Training and Research Hospital Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Turkey., Aksu SB; Department of Family Medicine, Health Sciences University Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey. drsalihabusra@gmail.com., Zeren Öztürk G; Department of Family Medicine, Health Sciences University Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital Şişli, İstanbul, Turkey. |
| Πηγή: | Italian journal of pediatrics [Ital J Pediatr] 2026 Mar 19; Vol. 52 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 19. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Observational Study |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101510759 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1824-7288 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17208424 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Ital J Pediatr Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : BioMed Central |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Vaccination Hesitancy*/statistics & numerical data , COVID-19*/epidemiology , COVID-19*/prevention & control , Vaccination Refusal*/statistics & numerical data , Vaccination*/statistics & numerical data, Turkey/epidemiology ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Pandemics |
| Περίληψη: | BACKGROUND: Vaccine refusal is a growing public health concern, threatening herd immunity and the control of vaccine-preventable diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced healthcare delivery and vaccine refusal behavior as a proxy for vaccine hesitancy. This study aimed to assess changes in childhood vaccine refusal behavior during the pandemic in Turkey. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study including 2,786 children born between 2017 and 2022 who reached 24 months of age and had complete vaccination records from primary healthcare. Children were categorized as pre-pandemic or post-pandemic based on birthdate. Data on vaccine refusal type, timing, and frequency were collected. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Overall, 3.7% (n = 102) of children had at least one vaccine refusal. Refusal rates were 3.9% before and 3.4% after the pandemic onset, with no significant difference (p = 0.474). However, the median age of first refusal shifted from 12 months pre-pandemic to 1 month post-pandemic. Vaccines given after one year (e.g., MMR, varicella, Hepatitis A) were more frequently refused pre-pandemic, whereas those scheduled in infancy were more often refused post-pandemic. Live vaccines and later doses in multi-dose schedules had the highest refusal rates. Early-onset refusals were strongly associated with multiple vaccine refusals (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: While overall refusal rates remained stable, the timing of hesitancy shifted to earlier infancy during the pandemic. These findings emphasize the need for targeted parental education and early communication strategies to sustain vaccine coverage and prevent resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital (Approval No: 4395, dated May 14, 2024) and by the Ethics Committee of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Public Health (Approval date: December 25, 2024). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Author information: SBA, MD, is a Family Medicine Specialist at a tertiary training and research hospital, with expertise in preventive medicine and maternal health. SÖS, MD, is a Family Medicine Specialist and also a Resident Physician in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at a different institution, with research interests in vaccination practices, infectious diseases, and preventive medicine. GZÖ, MD, Professor, is the Education Supervisor at a tertiary training and research hospital, with extensive experience in preventive medicine and family medicine, and currently serves as the President of the Family Physicians Association. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: COVID-19; Immunization programs; Vaccine hesitancy; Vaccine refusal; Vaccines |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260320 Date Completed: 20260627 Latest Revision: 20260813 |
| Update Code: | 20261010 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13123205 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s13052-026-02226-5 |
| PMID: | 41857752 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1824-7288 |
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| DOI: | 10.1186/s13052-026-02226-5 |