Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Explorative Study Regarding Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy Among HIV-infected Patients

Valentina Marchese
* ORCID logo ,
Samuele Storti
,
Claudia Morganti
,
Giorgio Tiecco
ORCID logo ,
Melania Degli Antoni
,
Emanuele Focà
,
Francesco Castelli
,
Eugenia Quiros-Roldan
Version 1 : Received: 2 October 2021 / Approved: 4 October 2021 / Online: 4 October 2021 (09:44:35 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Marchese, V.; Storti, S.; Morganti, C.; Tiecco, G.; Degli Antoni, M.; Focà, E.; Castelli, F.; Quiros-Roldan, E. Explorative Study Regarding Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy among HIV-Infected Patients. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 2022, 18, doi:10.1080/21645515.2022.2046434. Marchese, V.; Storti, S.; Morganti, C.; Tiecco, G.; Degli Antoni, M.; Focà, E.; Castelli, F.; Quiros-Roldan, E. Explorative Study Regarding Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy among HIV-Infected Patients. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics 2022, 18, doi:10.1080/21645515.2022.2046434.

Abstract

There are scarce data regarding flu vaccination among people with HIV infection (PWHIV). The goal of this explorative study is to assess hesitancy toward influenza vaccination in a group of PWHIV during the pandemic. A questionnaire was administered to 219 patients vaccinated at our clinic during the 2020-2021 campaign. It evaluated subjects’ adherence over the last 3 seasonal vaccination campaigns, vaccine confidence, complacency and convenience, and the effect of the pandemic on the choice to vaccinate. The population was divided into two groups: fully adherent (all 3 campaigns, 117 patients) and non-fully adherent (1 or 2 campaigns, 102 patients). Adherence increased in non-fully adherent group in 2020-2021, but the pandemic did not affect the choice. Misbelieves emerged: influenza vaccine was considered protective SARS-CoV-2 (22.8% of total population); almost half of all patients thought influenza vaccine could improve their CD4+ cell level (57.3% in fully adherent, 40.2% in non-fully adherent, p<0.05). A quarter of the non-fully adherent group would not have vaccinated in a location other than our clinic (24.5% vs 11.9% in fully adherent group, p<0.05). Conclusively, offering a secure and private space for vaccination seems to encourage vaccination; healthcare professionals should improve counselling to increase adherence and correct misbeliefs.

Keywords

influenza vaccine; HIV; vaccine hesitancy; Italy

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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