COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Factors Influencing Vaccine Hesitancy among Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity in Latvia: A Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND

The European Society for Immunodeficiencies recommends that all patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) without contraindications should receive SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The aim of this study was to investigate the reasons that discourage IEI patients from receiving the recommended vaccination and to assess vaccination coverage among IEI patients in Latvia.

METHODS

In this multicenter mixed-methods study, the vaccination status of all patients with IEI within two tertiary centers in Latvia was reviewed using electronic health records. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 IEI patients who did not undergo vaccination, and a thematic analysis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 341 patients (49.3% female; median age 19.7 years (IQR:17)) were included in the quantitative part. The proportion of fully vaccinated individuals aged ≥ 12 years was 66.8%-70.9% with patients with selective IgA deficiency and 58.8% with other IEI (χ² = 14.12, < 0.001). The proportion of fully vaccinated individuals aged 5-11 years was 11.1%. Age was associated with vaccination status: younger patients were found to have a significantly lower likelihood of receiving vaccination (U = 8585, < 0.001). The five main themes identified were as follows: (1) fear and uncertainty; (2) risk and benefit assessment: COVID-19 vaccine-is it worth it? (3) external influences: the dark horse of the decision-making-people around us; (4) individuals against the system; and (5) beliefs about vaccination and COVID-19. Under-representation of certain IEI groups and recall bias are possible limitations of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

While most reasons for hesitancy were similar to those previously described in the general population, disease-specific concerns were also identified.