According to the research conducted by the Near East University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, the rate of students who received two doses of vaccine against COVID-19 is 80 percent in the faculty of medicine and 85 percent in the faculties of dentistry and pharmacy.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded everyone that awareness of infectious diseases is one of the most effective means of protection at the individual and social levels. Awareness and consciousness developed about the disease, on the one hand, allow people to protect themselves, and on the other hand, it is very important in terms of preventing the prejudices that can be experienced about vaccines, which are one of the most important inventions that have eliminated infectious diseases throughout history.
The study titled “Knowledge, Attitudes and Perceptions of the Students of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy about COVID-19 Vaccines” carried out by Prof. Dr. Şanda Calı, Prof. Dr. Songül Vaizoğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özen Aşut and Assist. Prof. Dr. Gulifeiya Abuduxike from the Near East University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health in consultation with the students studying in the fields of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy at Near East University determined the level of awareness regarding COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccination rates are high
The results of the research, which was created with the answers of a total of 850 students, 476 from the Faculty of Medicine of Near East University and 374 from the Faculties of Dentistry and Pharmacy, provide important clues about the perceptions of the students about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. The results of the study revealed that the vaccination rates of students studying in the field of health are quite high. The rate of vaccination is 98 percent in medical students. It was determined as 98.4% for dentistry and pharmacy students. The rate of students who were vaccinated with two doses is 80 percent among medical students. It was determined as 85 in dentistry and pharmacy students. However, despite the high vaccination rates, about 25 percent of the students’ explanation of the reasons for getting vaccinated as “obligatory” was recorded as one of the most important negative aspects.
Research reveals students’ awareness of COVID-19
Within the scope of the research, many questions were asked, such as the number of cases and death rates, the incubation period, the necessity of vaccination for those who had an infection, the existence of evidence-based treatments for COVID-19, and which approved vaccines were available to measure the knowledge level of the students about the pandemic. The results revealed that the level of knowledge that students have about COVID-19 should be supported. In the conclusion part of the research, it was emphasized that there were deficiencies in the knowledge and attitudes of the students about the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was suggested that “The knowledge and skill levels of health sciences students about COVID-19 should be improved with the education, application and consultancy programs to be applied in all aspects”.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özen Aşut: “We are preparing a roadmap for the future by identifying the perceptions that emerged in the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Assoc. Dr. Özen Aşut said that the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the most important guides in possible future outbreaks. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aşut further said, “As the Department of Public Health, we are preparing a roadmap for the future by determining the perceptions that arise in the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, we consider it a duty to identify the deficiencies and make suggestions so that the pandemic process we are experiencing can be properly understood at the social level.”