Qualitative examination of the attitudes of healthcare workers in Turkey regarding COVID-19 vaccines

Abstract

Purpose: The attitudes of healthcare workers toward COVID-19 vaccines ensure that health services are able to run without interruption and potentially have a role in the messaging about vaccination that they convey to the public. Hence, healthcare workers' attitudes ultimately have a significant role in controlling the pandemic. This study aimed to qualitatively investigate the attitudes of healthcare workers in Turkey in relation to COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods: The study used the phenomenological approach. The sample consisted of 36 healthcare workers who were employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected online using focus group interviews. A total of four focus group interviews were conducted.

Findings: Following analysis of the data, the attitudes of healthcare workers in Turkey toward the COVID-19 vaccine were divided into three themes: "influencing factors," "priority group" and "trust."

Conclusions: Vaccination was found to create negative emotions among some of the healthcare workers. Their opinions about the COVID-19 vaccines were affected by the negative emotions and burnout they experienced during the pandemic. In addition, they saw the vaccination process as impacted by contraindications and uncertainty about the duration of the protection, the balance of the benefits and harm of the vaccines, and by vaccine myths and prejudices about the country where the vaccine was developed. Healthcare professionals expressed the need for trust to be established in the whole vaccination process. They suggested that different vaccine options should be offered, that the appointment and process notification system for vaccination should be improved, that evidence-based information about vaccines should be provided and that a safe environment should be created.

Practice implications: Vaccine hesitancy can be addressed by careful attention to the application of vaccination programs, correct and effective use of social media, transparent, and precise management of political processes, and the provision of evidence-based information about the vaccines.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Turkey; healthcare workers; pandemics; qualitative research; vaccination.