Niruj Rheumatology Clinic, 209 Rajvi Complex, Rambaug, Ahmedabad, 380008, Gujarat, India.
Rheumatol Int. 2021 Sep;41(9):1601-1605. doi: 10.1007/s00296-021-04938-9. Epub 2021 Jul 2.
Patients with a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) are vulnerable to SARS Cov-2 infection. Vaccination against this infection can prevent the patients from developing severe disease. But vaccine hesitancy in this group can emerge as a hurdle. So there is a need to understand the perception regarding vaccination in AIRD patients. The study is an interview-based survey done in AIRD patients and a control group from the general population. The questionnaire included the subject's demographic details, duration, diagnosis, the activity of AIRD, and questions regarding the perception of the vaccination. The survey included 280 patients with AIRD and 102 control subjects. 54% (152/280) of the patients and 67% (68/102) of the controls were willing to get vaccinated (p = 0.03). Patients > 45-years of age were more willing to vaccinate than those with age ≤ 45-years (61.9% vs. 44.8%; p = 0.001). Patients with lower education had more vaccine hesitancy than those with graduation and above (38% vs. 69%; p < 0.001). The common reason for vaccine hesitancy was not-yet-decided, fear related to vaccine side-effects, and disease worsening. 29% (82/280) patients were already vaccinated, out of which 35% (35/82) had mild events (fever/myalgia/headache). AIRD patients had fewer side effects than controls, and disease flare was seen in only one patient. Thus, educating AIRD patients regarding the pros and cons of vaccination, particularly concerning immunological disease, can help us overcome vaccine hesitancy. The message should clearly penetrate that there is a negligible risk of AIRD-flares with the COVID-19 immunization and the side effects are mild and manageable.
患有系统性自身免疫性风湿病（AIRD）的患者易感染 SARS-CoV-2。接种这种疫苗可以预防患者患上严重疾病。但该人群中可能会出现疫苗犹豫。因此，有必要了解 AIRD 患者对疫苗接种的看法。该研究是对 AIRD 患者和普通人群中的对照组进行的基于访谈的调查。问卷包括受试者的人口统计学细节、病程、诊断、AIRD 的活动以及关于疫苗接种看法的问题。该调查包括 280 名 AIRD 患者和 102 名对照者。54%（152/280）的患者和 67%（68/102）的对照组愿意接种疫苗（p=0.03）。年龄>45 岁的患者比年龄≤45 岁的患者更愿意接种疫苗（61.9%比 44.8%；p=0.001）。教育程度较低的患者比毕业及以上的患者更犹豫不决（38%比 69%；p<0.001）。疫苗犹豫的常见原因是尚未决定、担心疫苗副作用和疾病恶化。29%（82/280）的患者已接种疫苗，其中 35%（35/82）出现轻度事件（发热/肌痛/头痛）。AIRD 患者的副作用比对照组少，只有 1 例患者出现疾病加重。因此，教育 AIRD 患者接种疫苗的利弊，特别是关于免疫性疾病，可以帮助我们克服疫苗犹豫。信息应明确传达，接种 COVID-19 疫苗对 AIRD 发作的风险极小，且副作用轻微且可控制。
