Background: The increase in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates in Turkey and in the world plays a key role in reducing the number of deaths and cases from COVID-19. Investigating the underlying causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitations seems to be a guide in reducing the negative effects of the pandemic. Methods: We analyzed the correlations between double COVID-19 vaccination rates of all cities in Turkey between 1 September 2021 and 1 February 2022 and their per capita income values and their education level percentages. Results: Overall, there was a negative correlation between the vaccination rates of cities and the percentages of illiterate, literate without a diploma, and secondary school graduates for both genders. However, there was a positive correlation between city vaccination rates and the percentages of primary school and college graduates. City income values per capita values were positively correlated with double vaccination rates of cities. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that not only low levels of education, but also interruption of education at some point make a significant contribution to vaccination hesitancy and ultimately to vaccination levels. In order to end the pandemic and reach a sufficient percentage of vaccines, it may be necessary to address some special groups and raise awareness of these groups about vaccination.

AbstractObjectivesLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) patients report alarming rates of identity-based discrimination in healthcare settings. Despite the health risks and challenges impacting LGBTQ young adults, little is known about their healthcare experience, especially in Turkey. This study aimed to increase the knowledge base on LGBTQ young individuals’ experiences when accessing health care in an attempt to address the myriad of health disparities they might face.MethodsParticipants were recruited from the division of Adolescent Medicine at Hacettepe University, and also from an LGBTQ support group. Participants’ responded to open-ended items asking about their experiences in the healthcare setting, in particular to any case of discrimination and reasons for non-disclosure of gender identity/orientation.ResultsA total of 24 LGBTQ youth completed the interview, mean age 21.1 years. Overall participants reported alarming rates of identity-discrimination and non-disclosure when accessing health care. Additionally, participants reported high rates of postponing care as they felt they would be subjected to LGBTQ-based discrimination. Furthermore results suggest that transgender individuals face additional healthcare challenges compared with their LGB and cisgender counterparts.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge this is the first study in Turkey to evaluate the experiences of LGBTQ youth accessing medical care. This study shows that similar to barriers observed in previous studies on LGBTQ individuals, discrimination when accessing healthcare is a serious problem. Increasing knowledge concerning the discrimination LGBTQ people face when accessing healthcare is essential to decreasing healthcare disparities.

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