Introduction: Vaccines can protect against disease, disability, and death from vaccine-preventable diseases. There is ample evidence of the effectiveness of vaccinations and the success of immunization, yet a section of the population doubts the need for and usefulness of vaccinations. Vaccine hesitancy and vaccine uptake are both influenced by health literacy and specifically vaccination literacy.

Objective: The aim of our study was to measure vaccination health literacy among the general adult population in Hungary and discover its determinants.

Methods: We carried out a nationwide cross-sectional study in the general population as a part of the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-21, a project of the Action Network on Measuring Population and Organizational Health Literacy. Besides Hungary, six other member states screened the level of vaccination health literacy. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were used to collect data on a representative sample (N = 1206) in 2020. Four questions were used as an instrument out of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 to measure vaccination health literacy. The instrument’s reliability was evaluated using Cronbach-α. Associations between different health literacy scores and vaccination health literacy were also investigated.

Results: The instrument’s internal consistency measured by Cronbach-α was adequate (0.70). The overall Hungarian level of vaccination health literacy is the second highest in Europe. Seventeen per cent of the respondents found that making decisions and getting informed about vaccinations is ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ versus 83% of them found that it is ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’. There is no significant difference between the two genders regarding vaccination health literacy. Young age (18-25 years) and financial deprivation have a negative impact on the level of vaccination health literacy. There is a modest correlation between vaccination health literacy, digital health literacy score (r = 0.45) and general health literacy score (r = 0.43).

Conclusion: To enhance general and vaccination health literacy in Hungary, we need to focus on young adults and financially deprived groups. They need tailor-made health communication to get deeper knowledge on the field of vaccination.