ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Turkey's 2020 policy shift from school‐based to family physician‐based individual vaccination for the adolescent Tetanus‐Diphtheria (Td) vaccine and to assess the effectiveness of a multi‐component intervention (education, reminders, and on‐site vaccination) in improving vaccine uptake among initially unvaccinated adolescents. Methods The study consisted of two phases: first, a cross‐sectional analysis comparing Td vaccination coverage rates from 2018 to 2024 before and after the policy change; second, a quasi‐experimental intervention involving 1007 high school students in Haliliye district during the 2023–2024 academic year. The intervention included structured educational sessions, monthly reminders, and on‐site vaccination services. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cochran's Q test, and McNemar tests. Results Following the shift to family physician‐based individual vaccination in 2020, Td coverage initially decreased from 71.3% to 64.3% but increased gradually to 79.3% by 2024. The multi‐component intervention increased vaccination coverage from 77.8% to 98.4% ( p < 0.001). Major barriers overcome included lack of awareness (51.3%) and reluctance or time constraints (27.7%). Conclusion Transitioning from school‐based to family physician‐based individual vaccination increased coverage gradually but left many adolescents unvaccinated. A multi‐component intervention significantly improved vaccine uptake, supporting a hybrid school‐ and physician‐based model.
Acar et al. (Thu,) studied this question.