Evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of family physicians and family health personnel toward the herpes zoster vaccine

The purpose of the study is determining the knowledge-related responses, attitudes and practices of family physicians and family health personnel working in family health centers in Adana/Turkiye province regarding herpes zoster vaccination. This study is a fieldwork conducted in family health centers. A sample of 309 participants was included. The research has a cross-sectional design, data were collected through an online questionnaire. The population was 1,480, and the sample size was determined using the known-population sampling method. The mean age of the participants was 42.56 years, and 69.9% were female. Of the participants, 49.5% were physicians and 50.5% were allied healthcare personnel. Participants reported encountering an average of 49.19 herpes zoster cases during their professional careers. The rate of recommending the herpes zoster vaccine was 53.73%. The vaccine was most commonly recommended to individuals aged 50 years and older. The most common reasons for not recommending the vaccine were uncertainty about its effectiveness and not encountering suitable patients. It was observed that the attitudes of participants toward herpes zoster vaccination were generally positive. Differences between positive attitudes and reported vaccination recommendation practices were observed alongside self-perceived knowledge, training, and reimbursement-related factors.