Cummings Peterlyn E, Lakoh Sulaiman, Yendewa Sahr A, Massaquoi Samuel P E, James Peter B, Sahr Foday, Deen Gibrilla F, Salata Robert A, Gevao Pelema, Yendewa George A
College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone.
Connaught Hospital, University of Sierra Leone Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone.
Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Nov 2;11(11):1685. doi: 10.3390/vaccines11111685.
People with HIV (PWH) incur a higher risk of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality rates, yet less is known about COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy in this group. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from April to June 2022, using the VAX scale, a validated instrument, to assess attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and calculate the hesitancy (VAX) scores. We used generalized linear models to identify the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Overall, 490 PWH were enrolled (71.4% female, median age: 38 years, median CD4 count: 412 cells/mm). About 17.3% received ≥1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The mean VAX score was 43.14 ± 7.05, corresponding to 59.9% participants being vaccine-hesitant. A preference for natural immunity (65.8%) and concerns about profiteering (64.4%) were the commonest reasons for hesitancy, followed by a mistrust of vaccine benefits (61.4%) and worries about future effects (48.0%). In the adjusted regression analysis, being a Muslim (β = 2.563, < 0.001) and having an urban residence (β = 1.709, = 0.010) were associated with greater vaccine hesitancy, while testing for COVID-19 was associated with reduced vaccine hesitancy (β = -3.417, = 0.027). These findings underscore the importance of addressing vaccine hesitancy as a critical element boosting COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PWH.
感染艾滋病毒者（PWH）患新冠病毒相关发病率和死亡率的风险更高，但对于该群体接种新冠疫苗的情况及犹豫态度知之甚少。2022年4月至6月，我们在塞拉利昂弗里敦开展了一项横断面研究，使用经过验证的VAX量表评估对新冠疫苗接种的态度并计算犹豫（VAX）得分。我们使用广义线性模型来确定与疫苗犹豫相关的因素。总体而言，共纳入490名感染艾滋病毒者（女性占71.4%，中位年龄：38岁，中位CD4细胞计数：412个/立方毫米）。约17.3%的人接种了≥1剂新冠疫苗。VAX平均得分为43.14±7.05，这意味着59.9%的参与者对接种疫苗持犹豫态度。对自然免疫的偏好（65.8%）和对暴利的担忧（64.4%）是最常见的犹豫原因，其次是对疫苗益处的不信任（61.4%）和对未来影响的担忧（48.0%）。在调整后的回归分析中，身为穆斯林（β = 2.563，<0.001）和居住在城市地区（β = 1.709，= 0.010）与更高的疫苗犹豫程度相关，而进行新冠病毒检测与较低的疫苗犹豫程度相关（β = -3.417，= 0.027）。这些发现强调了解决疫苗犹豫问题对于提高感染艾滋病毒者接种新冠疫苗比例的关键重要性。
