Al-Dahir Sara, Barri Saba, Heyer Klaus, Taylor Ashley M, Khalil Ala'a, Belkhouche Mohamed, Hamed Ibrahim, Cosenza Liliana, Jwayyed Malack, Saad Malaak, Gerard Tina, Craig Leslie S, Sarpong Daniel F, Salmon Daniel
College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA 70125, USA.
Elaine P Nunez Community College, Chalmette, LA 70043, USA.
Vaccines (Basel). 2024 Nov 27;12(12):1338. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12121338.
Global COVID-19 vaccination effort faces the challenges of vaccine hesitancy and resistance, rooted in misinformation and institutional distrust. Addressing these barriers with customized messaging is essential, yet the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and other health-seeking behaviors, like COVID-19 testing, has been underexplored. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Southeastern Louisiana across 10 pharmacies and clinics in areas with historically high rates of COVID-19 infection. Using a longitudinal cohort design from Fall 2022 through Fall 2023, a total of 377 participants from diverse backgrounds were surveyed while seeking routine care at partner organizations. Baseline data was collected on demographics, vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and test-seeking behaviors. Information on COVID-19 testing and vaccination were self-reported and verified, as applicable, in the patient's medical records. All data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, log-binomial to yield risk ratios, and an ordinal logistic regression for vaccine series completion. Among the 377 participants, 207 were unvaccinated while 170 received the vaccine. Among the unvaccinated individuals, 53 received a half-dose, 97 a full dose, and 14 a booster. Notably, 75% of unvaccinated and 89% of vaccinated participants underwent COVID-19 testing. Individuals who were tested were 1.71 times more likely to be vaccinated (95% CI 1.03, 2.84), while previous vaccine refusal was associated with lower vaccine acceptance (0.77; 95% CI 0.54, 1.09). In the bivariate and multivariate analysis, COVID-19 testing behavior was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Exploring the connection between COVID-19 testing and vaccination provides valuable insights for future public health messaging to mitigate vaccine hesitancy.
全球新冠疫苗接种工作面临着疫苗犹豫和抵制的挑战，其根源在于错误信息和对机构的不信任。通过定制信息来克服这些障碍至关重要，然而，疫苗犹豫与其他寻求医疗行为（如新冠病毒检测）之间的关系尚未得到充分研究。本研究评估了路易斯安那州东南部10家药店和诊所所在地区的新冠疫苗接种情况，这些地区的新冠病毒感染率历来较高。采用2022年秋季至2023年秋季的纵向队列设计，在合作机构寻求常规护理时，对377名来自不同背景的参与者进行了调查。收集了有关人口统计学、疫苗知识、态度和检测寻求行为的基线数据。新冠病毒检测和疫苗接种信息由患者自我报告，并在适用情况下在患者病历中进行核实。所有数据均使用描述性统计、对数二项式分析以得出风险比，并使用有序逻辑回归分析疫苗系列完成情况。在377名参与者中，207人未接种疫苗，170人接种了疫苗。在未接种疫苗的个体中，53人接种了半剂，97人接种了全剂，14人接种了加强针。值得注意的是，75%的未接种疫苗者和89%的接种疫苗者接受了新冠病毒检测。接受检测的个体接种疫苗的可能性高出1.71倍（95%置信区间1.03, 2.84），而之前拒绝接种疫苗与较低的疫苗接受度相关（0.77；95%置信区间0.54, 1.09）。在双变量和多变量分析中，新冠病毒检测行为与新冠疫苗接种呈正相关。探索新冠病毒检测与疫苗接种之间的联系，为未来减轻疫苗犹豫的公共卫生信息提供了有价值的见解。
