Dr. Sinem Ayaz’s Article Published in a Q1 Journal

Publication Date: 31 July 2026

Update Date: 06 August 2026

The study titled “Self-Reported History of Herpes Zoster and Awareness of Zoster Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study” by Dr. Sinem Ayaz, a faculty member in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine of our University, has been published in Vaccines, an international academic journal indexed in Scopus Q1 and Web of Science (SCIE).

The study was conducted as a nationwide multicenter study across Türkiye. Herpes zoster (shingles) is an infection that can cause serious complications, particularly in older adults and immunocompromised individuals, and can be largely prevented through vaccination. In this study, conducted with the participation of 5,180 healthcare workers across Türkiye, it was determined that only 39.6% of the participants were aware of the shingles vaccine, 8.8% had no knowledge about the disease, and 20.1% of those who were aware of the vaccine did not consider vaccination due to its high cost.

While physicians’ level of knowledge was found to be significantly higher compared to other healthcare professional groups, the study revealed that healthcare workers’ overall levels of knowledge and awareness regarding herpes zoster and its vaccination were low. These findings demonstrate that increasing educational activities on the recombinant shingles vaccine newly licensed in Türkiye, strengthening awareness regarding risk groups, and improving vaccine accessibility by reducing economic barriers are of critical importance for both protecting healthcare workers and ensuring patient safety.

We congratulate our faculty member and wish her continued success.

Article Link: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/14/8/650

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