COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients
(1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is a threat for fragile patients. We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and its reasons in a population of liver transplant (LT) recipients. (2) Methods: In February 2021, a questionnaire on COVID-19 vaccines was sent to LT patients follow...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/11/1314 |
| _version_ | 1797508324491526144 |
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| author | Andrea Costantino Federica Invernizzi Erica Centorrino Maurizio Vecchi Pietro Lampertico Maria Francesca Donato |
| author_facet | Andrea Costantino Federica Invernizzi Erica Centorrino Maurizio Vecchi Pietro Lampertico Maria Francesca Donato |
| author_sort | Andrea Costantino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is a threat for fragile patients. We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and its reasons in a population of liver transplant (LT) recipients. (2) Methods: In February 2021, a questionnaire on COVID-19 vaccines was sent to LT patients followed at our liver transplant outpatient clinic in Milan, Italy. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Patients were defined as willing, hesitant, or refusing and their reasons were investigated. Associations between baseline characteristics and willingness were evaluated. Since March 2021, when the COVID-19 vaccines became available for LT candidates and recipients in Italy, the entire cohort of LT recipients was contacted by phone and called for vaccination, and the rate of refusals recorded. (3) Results: The web-based survey was sent to 583 patients, of whom 190 responded (response rate of 32.6%). Among the respondents to the specific question about hesitancy (184), 157 (85.3%) were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 27 (14.7%) were hesitant. Among the hesitant, three were totally refusing, for a refusal rate of 1.6%. Thirteen hesitant patients (48.1%) answered that their COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was influenced by being a transplant recipient. The fear of adverse effects was the main reason for refusal (81.5%). Of the 711 LT patients followed at our center, 668 got fully vaccinated, while 43 (6.1%) of them refused the scheduled vaccination. (4) Conclusions: Most patients accepted COVID-19 vaccines, although 6.1% refused the vaccine. Since it is crucial to achieve adequate vaccination of LT patients, it is very important to identify the reasons influencing COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy so that appropriate and targeted communication strategies can be established and specific vaccination campaigns further implemented. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:00:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c319694c71cf49c9b015a230bfb8e2db |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:00:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-c319694c71cf49c9b015a230bfb8e2db2023-11-23T01:52:55ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2021-11-01911131410.3390/vaccines9111314COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant RecipientsAndrea Costantino0Federica Invernizzi1Erica Centorrino2Maurizio Vecchi3Pietro Lampertico4Maria Francesca Donato5Division of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, ItalyDivision of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, ItalyDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy(1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is a threat for fragile patients. We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and its reasons in a population of liver transplant (LT) recipients. (2) Methods: In February 2021, a questionnaire on COVID-19 vaccines was sent to LT patients followed at our liver transplant outpatient clinic in Milan, Italy. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Patients were defined as willing, hesitant, or refusing and their reasons were investigated. Associations between baseline characteristics and willingness were evaluated. Since March 2021, when the COVID-19 vaccines became available for LT candidates and recipients in Italy, the entire cohort of LT recipients was contacted by phone and called for vaccination, and the rate of refusals recorded. (3) Results: The web-based survey was sent to 583 patients, of whom 190 responded (response rate of 32.6%). Among the respondents to the specific question about hesitancy (184), 157 (85.3%) were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 27 (14.7%) were hesitant. Among the hesitant, three were totally refusing, for a refusal rate of 1.6%. Thirteen hesitant patients (48.1%) answered that their COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was influenced by being a transplant recipient. The fear of adverse effects was the main reason for refusal (81.5%). Of the 711 LT patients followed at our center, 668 got fully vaccinated, while 43 (6.1%) of them refused the scheduled vaccination. (4) Conclusions: Most patients accepted COVID-19 vaccines, although 6.1% refused the vaccine. Since it is crucial to achieve adequate vaccination of LT patients, it is very important to identify the reasons influencing COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy so that appropriate and targeted communication strategies can be established and specific vaccination campaigns further implemented.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/11/1314COVID-19 vaccineCOVID-19vaccination hesitancyvaccine hesitancyliver transplantationliver transplant |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Costantino Federica Invernizzi Erica Centorrino Maurizio Vecchi Pietro Lampertico Maria Francesca Donato COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients Vaccines COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy vaccine hesitancy liver transplantation liver transplant |
| title | COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients |
| title_full | COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients |
| title_short | COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Liver Transplant Recipients |
| title_sort | covid 19 vaccine acceptance among liver transplant recipients |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccine COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy vaccine hesitancy liver transplantation liver transplant |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/11/1314 |
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