Qualitative assessment of individuals at a family health center: avoidance/refusal of COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

Background. The avoidance or refusal of vaccines is a significant
public health problem during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article focuses on vaccine avoidance and refusal among
patients at a Family Health Center (FHC). We will attempt to
identify and describe the factors that contribute to avoidance and
refusal so that new strategies can be developed.
Methods. This study was conducted between December
2021 and August 2022. Eight individuals were interviewed with
a semi-structured form. The study cite was Turgut Reis FHC
Kayseri/Turkey. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative
data.
Results. The study identified three main themes and 16
sub-themes based on verbatim notes. The main themes were the
level of knowledge regarding COVID-19 and individual and
non-individual factors causing COVID-19 vaccine avoidance/refusal.
Some of the sub-themes included the reality of the disease,
protective measures, concerns about the content and production
process of the vaccine, the interaction between chronic disease
and COVID-19, and the positive or negative effects of religion
and national identity on vaccination. The study demonstrated
that concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, and production, as
well as individual preferences, media influence, and mandatory
regulations of health care management were the most influential
factors in vaccine avoidance/refusal.
Conclusions. The sudden onset of COVID-19 resulted in a
delayed response from society and health authorities. This delay
may be due to distrust of the disease, reluctance to adopt preventive
measures, and uncertainty about treatment options. While
advanced technology exists, limited public information about the
vaccine’s effectiveness and production processes could be contributing
to this reaction.