Objective: This study aims to determine the factors that influence vaccine hesitancy in individuals aged 60 and older who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, it seeks to provide knowledge and recommendations to hesitant individuals about getting vaccinated, emphasizing that scientific studies indicate the vaccine's safety and that vaccination is the most effective strategy for protecting against the effects of COVID-19. The study also explores these individuals’ ideas for future COVID-19 vaccines in accordance with the guidelines offered.

Material and Method: This cross-sectional investigation was carried out between April and May 2022 on 440 older adults aged 60 and up who had not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Researchers prepared a three-part survey. The first section examined socio-demographic factors. The second section included questions about the risk of getting COVID-19, past COVID-19 infection, and hospitalization history. As a final question, it was asked if there were any other vaccines that older adults should take, as well as reasons for not getting vaccinated. finally, participants were told of the necessity of the COVID-19 vaccine and questioned about their vaccination strategies.

Results: This study included 440 participants. The study had 58.4% female and 41.6% male participants, with an average age of 69.11±8.15. "Individuals previously infected with COVID-19 were 4.5 times more likely to refuse vaccination. (p<0.05). When asked about their reasons for not getting vaccinated, the most popular responses were fear of adverse effects, followed by unnecessary vaccinations.

Conclusion: We observed that many factors are effective in older adults who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. While the most effective factor was being previously infected, factors such as education level, marital status, previous hospitalization, and receiving advice from anyone not to get vaccinated were also effective. This study raised awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine among older adults and impacted the participants' attitudes toward vaccination.

COVID-19 Vaccine Older adults Acceptance