The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Adult Vaccination in Turkey

Abstract

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adult vaccination rates in Turkey.Method:This retrospective descriptive study included individuals aged 18 and over who sought adult vaccination at the Education Family Health Centers of University of Health Sciences Turkey, Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşcıoğlu City Hospital between 11.03.2019 and 11.03.2021. The data were analyzed for one year before and one year after 11.03.2020, which marked the first COVID-19 case in Turkey. Vaccination information was obtained from the family medicine information system, and data analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS program.Results:A total of 1.139 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 57.27±17.74 years (min: 18, max: 96). Among the participants, 60.8% were female and 39.2% were male. The total number of vaccine doses administered between 11.03.2019-11.03.2020 (pre-pandemic) was 310, while the total number of vaccine doses administered between 11.03.2020-11.03.2021 (post-pandemic) was 829. Before the pandemic, the most commonly administered vaccines were hepatitis B (54.8%), conjugated pneumococcal (50.7%), and seasonal influenza vaccines (11%). The mean age of those vaccinated before the pandemic was 58.41±15.63 years. Following the pandemic, there was a significant increase in adult vaccination rates among the participants, particularly in females (p<0.05). The vaccination status did not show a significant change with age (p=0.781).Conclusion:The utilization of adult vaccination services has significantly increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

• covid-19
• pandemics
• primary care
• vaccination