Physician-Endorsed vs Autonomous Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Willingness Among High-Risk Individuals: A Scenario-Based Study in Türkiye
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Updated COVID-19 vaccines targeting circulating variants are recommended for individuals at high risk of severe disease. However, in Türkiye, these vaccines are not currently available. Understanding how high-risk individuals respond to hypothetical vaccine availability, and how their intentions vary across decision contexts, is important for informing future vaccination strategies. Methods This cross-sectional study with a within-participant, scenario-based comparison was conducted in a tertiary care hospital between January and June 2025. Adults aged ≥ 18 years with at least one high-risk condition for severe COVID-19 were included. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing baseline willingness to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine under a hypothetical availability scenario. Following standardized counseling, they were asked whether they would accept vaccination if recommended by their physician. Paired responses were compared using the McNemar test. Results A total of 406 participants (median age 69 years, 72.4% male) were included. At baseline, 152 participants (37.4%) reported willingness to receive the updated vaccine. Under a physician-recommended scenario, 265 participants (66.3%) expressed willingness. Among those initially unwilling, 120 (47.2%) indicated they would accept vaccination if recommended by their physician, corresponding to a number needed to counsel of 2.1. This within-participant shift was statistically significant (McNemar test, p < 0.001). The most commonly reported barriers were concerns about side effects (37.9%) and lack of confidence in the vaccine (15.0%). Conclusions Willingness to receive updated COVID-19 vaccines among high-risk individuals in Türkiye is limited under autonomous decision conditions but substantially higher in a physician-endorsed context. These findings suggest that vaccination intentions are highly sensitive to decision context and highlight the potential role of physician engagement in improving vaccine uptake if access barriers are addressed.
Source: Research Square
Institution: Trabzon University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7163376514