Improving Family Physicians' Vaccine Recommendation Behaviors for Non-Routine Vaccines (Meningococcal, Rotavirus, and HPV): A Two-Phase Intervention Study in Primary Care in Turkey.

backgroundIn Turkey, meningococcal, rotavirus, and HPV vaccines are not included in the national schedule. We aimed to assess whether a face-to-face educational intervention could improve physicians' knowledge about these vaccines and influence their subsequent counseling and recommendation practices.

methodsWe used a two-phase intervention with pre/post assessment and a 4-6-week follow-up among family physicians. In Phase 1, participants received an in-person structured educational intervention on meningococcal, rotavirus, and HPV vaccines, and their knowledge was evaluated using identical true/false tests administered before and after the session. Phase 2, conducted 4-6 weeks later, measured changes in physicians' self-reported frequency of providing recommendations about these vaccines, and whether they or their first-degree relatives had received any of the vaccines after the structured educational intervention. Differences in paired proportions were analyzed using McNemar's test (

resultsNinety-one physicians completed Phase-1; 70 from the same cohort completed Phase-2. Following the educational intervention, correct responses increased across multiple items: e.g., "Rotavirus vaccine is live" 89.0%→100% (

conclusionsA structured educational intervention improved family physicians' knowledge and was associated with more proactive vaccine counseling and recommendation practices.