Vaccine hesitancy across educational stages and health disciplines among healthcare students at a public university in the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye: a cross-sectional study

Vaccine hesitancy among future healthcare professionals may affect their own vaccination behaviours and future communication with patients. This study examined vaccine hesitancy across educational stages and health disciplines among healthcare students at a public university in the Western Black Sea region of Türkiye. This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2024 and March 2025 among Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy students at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University. Vaccine hesitancy was assessed with the validated 21-item Turkish Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS). Group differences were evaluated using non-parametric tests, and factors independently associated with VHS total score were examined using multiple linear regression. A total of 1,434 students were included. The median VHS total score was 41.0 (25th–75th percentile: 31.0–51.0). Compared with first-year students, adjusted VHS scores were lower among fourth-year (B = − 7.80, 95% CI: −9.84 to − 5.75), fifth-year (B = − 6.94, 95% CI: −9.54 to − 4.33), and sixth-year students (B = − 11.09, 95% CI: −13.67 to − 8.51); second- and third-year differences were not statistically significant. Compared with Medicine students, scores were higher among Dentistry (B = 4.47, 95% CI: 2.69 to 6.25) and Pharmacy students (B = 9.49, 95% CI: 7.60 to 11.39). Female sex (B = − 3.85, 95% CI: −5.26 to − 2.45) and paternal education of high school or above (B = − 2.67, 95% CI: −4.51 to − 0.83) were associated with lower VHS scores. Agreement or partial agreement was reported for concerns about vaccine side effects (77.7%), vaccines benefiting manufacturers more than public health (49.8%), and vaccines causing autism or learning disorders (40.7%). Receipt of at least one coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine dose was reported by 81.9%. Vaccine hesitancy differed across educational stages and disciplines. These findings identify potential targets for vaccination education; however, whether early, discipline-sensitive educational interventions improve vaccine confidence requires evaluation in future intervention studies.