Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics (Nov 2022)

Factors associated to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Mexican patients with rheumatic diseases: A cross-sectional and multicenter study

  • Guillermo Arturo Guaracha-Basañez,
  • Irazú Contreras-Yáñez,
  • Everardo Álvarez-Hernández,
  • Greta Reyes-Cordero,
  • Diana Elsa Flores-Alvarado,
  • Susana Aidée González-Chávez,
  • Dionicio Ángel Galarza-Delgado,
  • Perla Rocío Martínez-Leyva,
  • José Francisco Moctezuma-Ríos,
  • Conrado García-García,
  • Gabriel Medrano-Ramírez,
  • Alfonso Gastelum-Strozzi,
  • César Pacheco-Tena,
  • Ingris Peláez-Ballestas,
  • Virginia Pascual-Ramos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2022.2049131
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 5

Abstract

Read online

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended in patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) to prevent hospitalized COVID-19 and worse outcomes. However, patients’ willingness to receive a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and the associated factors vary across populations, vaccines, and time. The objective was to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (VA) in Mexican outpatients with RDs. This multicenter study was performed between March 1 and September 30, 2021, and four national centers contributed with patients. Participants filled out a questionnaire, which included 32 items related to patients’ perception of the patient-doctor relationship, the COVID-19 vaccine component, the pandemic severity, the RD-related disability, comorbid conditions control, immunosuppressive treatment impact on the immune system, and moral/civil position of COVID-19 vaccine. Sociodemographic, disease-related, and treatment-related variables and previous influenza record vaccination were also obtained. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with VA, which was defined based on a questionnaire validated in our population. There were 1439 patients whose data were analyzed, and the most frequent diagnoses were Rheumatoid Arthritis in 577 patients (40.1%) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in 427 (29.7%). Patients were primarily middle-aged women (1235 [85.8%]), with (mean±SD) 12.1 (±4.4) years of formal education. Years of education, corticosteroid use, patient perceptions about the vaccine and the pandemic severity, patient civil/moral position regarding COVID-19 vaccine, and previous influenza vaccination were associated with VA. In Mexican patients with RDs, COVID-19 VA is associated with individual social-demographic and disease-related factors, patient´s perceptions, and previous record vaccination. This information is crucial for tailoring effective vaccine messaging in Mexican patients with RDs.

Keywords