Vermeiren Elias, Scheerens Charlotte, Stouten Veerle, Crombez John, De Maeseneer Jan, van Loenhout Joris A F
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium.
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Eur J Public Health. 2025 Aug 1;35(4):774-780. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaf075.
Belgium has implemented a strategy to prioritize vaccination at population level during the COVID-19 pandemic, targeting individuals with pre-existing health conditions at increased risk of severe COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate whether prioritized groups were vaccinated sooner, and which socio-demographic and -economic characteristics were related to the speed of vaccine uptake. We calculated the time to vaccination between the start of the prioritization (1 April 2021) and receiving a first COVID-19 vaccine dose, using this interval as a proxy for evaluating the strategy's early impact. A multivariate regression model, incorporating priority status, age, sex, region of residence, income, and migration background, described the natural logarithm of this time gap. The sample included 4 472 873 individuals vaccinated between 1 April and 31 December 2021, of which 26.4% were prioritized. The results show a 34.6 days earlier vaccination for prioritized individuals versus non-prioritized ones. The time difference between the prioritized and non-prioritized groups was larger in the younger age groups compared to the older age groups (28.2 days versus 19.3 days). Based on the multivariate model estimates, being prioritized [βpriority = -0.37, 95% CI (-0.38; -0.36)], older age [β55-64 = -0.57, 95% CI(-0.58; -0.56)], residency in Brussels or Wallonia [βBrussels = -0.18, 95%CI (-0.20; -0.16); βWallonia = -0.18, 95% CI (-0.19; -0.17)], having a high income [βhigh income = -0.11, 95% CI (-0.12; -0.10)], being a Belgian national (βbelgian = reference), having had a recent prior infection (βno prior infection = reference) and being female (βfemale = reference) are associated with a shorter time to vaccination. Developing and implementing a prioritization vaccination strategy accelerated vaccination for the high-risk population with health conditions, demonstrating its feasibility in promoting equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
在新冠疫情期间，比利时实施了一项在人群层面优先接种疫苗的策略，目标是那些已有健康状况且感染新冠病毒后患重症风险增加的人群。我们旨在评估优先接种群体是否更早接种了疫苗，以及哪些社会人口和经济特征与疫苗接种速度相关。我们计算了从优先接种开始（2021年4月1日）到接种第一剂新冠疫苗之间的时间，并以此间隔作为评估该策略早期影响的指标。一个多元回归模型纳入了优先地位、年龄、性别、居住地区、收入和移民背景，描述了这个时间间隔的自然对数。样本包括2021年4月1日至12月31日期间接种疫苗的4472873人，其中26.4%属于优先接种群体。结果显示，优先接种群体比非优先接种群体提前34.6天接种疫苗。与年龄较大的群体相比，年龄较小的群体中优先接种群体和非优先接种群体之间的时间差异更大（28.2天对19.3天）。根据多元模型估计，被列为优先接种对象[β优先 = -0.37，95%置信区间（-0.38；-0.36）]、年龄较大[β55 - 64 = -0.57，95%置信区间（-0.58；-0.56）]、居住在布鲁塞尔或瓦隆地区[β布鲁塞尔 = -0.18，95%置信区间（-0.20；-0.16）；β瓦隆 = -0.18，95%置信区间（-0.19；-0.17）]、高收入[β高收入 = -0.11，95%置信区间（-0.12；-0.10）]、是比利时国民（β比利时 = 参照）、近期无既往感染（β无既往感染 = 参照）以及女性（β女性 = 参照）与较短的接种时间相关。制定和实施优先接种策略加快了有健康状况的高危人群的疫苗接种速度，证明了其在促进公平获得新冠疫苗方面的可行性。
