Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Prevalence of Post-COVID Syndrome

Background/Aims: Determining the attitudes and confidence levels of society towards vaccines is important even after administering vaccinations. The aims of this study are: to determine the prevalence of post-COVID syndrome, the side effects after COVID-19 vaccinations, and the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine confidence in individuals aged eighteen years old and over. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of people aged eighteen years old and above living in the city center of Amasya. In total, 762 people were reached. Data collection was carried out between August 15 – September 15, 2022 by applying the questionnaire form prepared by the researchers face-to-face in rural areas and face-to-face or online in urban areas. Results: The number of people having chronic COVID disease was 55 (20.0%). Three hundred nine people (43.2%) developed side effects after at least one dose of the vaccine. The rate of trusting all the vaccines was higher among those who did not develop side effects after vaccination, who did not use social media as a source of information, who were aged 65 and over, who resided in rural areas, who had secondary school education and below, who did not work and who were housewives (p<0.001). Conclusions: One in five people who have had the disease developed chronic COVID syndrome and almost half of respondents trusted all types of COVID-19 vaccines. For vaccines to be accepted by the society, the ways in which media such as social media reduce the trust in the vaccine should be examined and the reasons for the lack of confidence in the vaccine should be determined, especially in people with a high education level.