Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background. Vaccination is an effective public health measure to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, vaccine “hesitancy” has limited uptake in some, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who may have unique concerns influencing uptake. Aim. The aim of the study is to explore attit...

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Main Authors: Eva Zhang, Arun Gupta, Aysha Al-Ani, Finlay A. Macrae, Rupert W. Leong, Britt Christensen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4527844
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author Eva Zhang
Arun Gupta
Aysha Al-Ani
Finlay A. Macrae
Rupert W. Leong
Britt Christensen
author_facet Eva Zhang
Arun Gupta
Aysha Al-Ani
Finlay A. Macrae
Rupert W. Leong
Britt Christensen
author_sort Eva Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Background. Vaccination is an effective public health measure to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, vaccine “hesitancy” has limited uptake in some, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who may have unique concerns influencing uptake. Aim. The aim of the study is to explore attitudes, concerns, and the influence of different sources of information on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in IBD patients. Methods. Patients from a specialist IBD clinic at a tertiary hospital in Australia and a national IBD patient society were invited to complete an anonymous online survey regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Demographic characteristics, attitudes towards vaccination, and trust in sources of information were explored. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with vaccine uptake. Results. Of 441 respondents, 93% of respondents had received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Self-perceived risk of being more unwell with COVID-19 infection due to IBD (AOR 5.25, 95% CI 1.96–14.04, p<0.001) was positively associated with vaccine uptake. Concerns regarding the safety of vaccination in pregnancy (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.08–0.65, p=0.006) and of causing an IBD flare (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10–0.77, p=0.01) were negatively associated with vaccine uptake. In total, 282 (73.7%) responders ranked healthcare workers the most trusted source to obtain information surrounding vaccination. Conclusion. Vaccine hesitancy in IBD patients is low. Concerns about the safety of vaccination in pregnancy and in causing an IBD flare are both associated with vaccine hesitancy. Healthcare providers play a key role in proactively addressing these misconceptions particularly in the context of emerging virus variants and the availability of boosters.
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spelling doaj-art-e83b6b8b4d5a4cc58be8d9982b313da02025-08-20T02:22:15ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology2291-27972022-01-01202210.1155/2022/4527844Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseEva Zhang0Arun Gupta1Aysha Al-Ani2Finlay A. Macrae3Rupert W. Leong4Britt Christensen5Dept of GastroenterologyColorectal Medicine and GeneticsDept of GastroenterologyDept of GastroenterologyMacquarie UniversityDept of GastroenterologyBackground. Vaccination is an effective public health measure to combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, vaccine “hesitancy” has limited uptake in some, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who may have unique concerns influencing uptake. Aim. The aim of the study is to explore attitudes, concerns, and the influence of different sources of information on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in IBD patients. Methods. Patients from a specialist IBD clinic at a tertiary hospital in Australia and a national IBD patient society were invited to complete an anonymous online survey regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Demographic characteristics, attitudes towards vaccination, and trust in sources of information were explored. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with vaccine uptake. Results. Of 441 respondents, 93% of respondents had received at least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccination. Self-perceived risk of being more unwell with COVID-19 infection due to IBD (AOR 5.25, 95% CI 1.96–14.04, p<0.001) was positively associated with vaccine uptake. Concerns regarding the safety of vaccination in pregnancy (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.08–0.65, p=0.006) and of causing an IBD flare (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10–0.77, p=0.01) were negatively associated with vaccine uptake. In total, 282 (73.7%) responders ranked healthcare workers the most trusted source to obtain information surrounding vaccination. Conclusion. Vaccine hesitancy in IBD patients is low. Concerns about the safety of vaccination in pregnancy and in causing an IBD flare are both associated with vaccine hesitancy. Healthcare providers play a key role in proactively addressing these misconceptions particularly in the context of emerging virus variants and the availability of boosters.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4527844
spellingShingle Eva Zhang
Arun Gupta
Aysha Al-Ani
Finlay A. Macrae
Rupert W. Leong
Britt Christensen
Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
title Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
title_full Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
title_fullStr Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
title_full_unstemmed Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
title_short Misconceptions Drive COVID-19 Vaccine Hesistancy in Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
title_sort misconceptions drive covid 19 vaccine hesistancy in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4527844
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