| Title |
Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people with epilepsy in Lithuania / |
| Authors |
Puteikis, Kristijonas ; Mameniškienė, Rūta |
| DOI |
10.3390/ijerph18084374 |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
International journal of environmental research and public health.. Basel : MDPI. 2021, vol. 18, iss. 8, art. no. 4374, p. [1-9].. ISSN 1661-7827. eISSN 1660-4601 |
| Keywords [eng] |
COVID-19 ; epilepsy ; influenza ; vaccine hesitancy |
| Abstract [eng] |
The purpose of our study was to determine the willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and factors associated with vaccine hesitancy among people with epilepsy (PWE). In December 2020, we performed an online cross-sectional survey of PWE and their caregivers in Lithuania before the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to the public. The study sample consisted of 111 respondents (44 (39.6%) male, median age 25 years (range 1 to 70)). From 58 PWE who personally responded to the survey, 27 (46.6%) would be willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Among the 53 caregivers, 18 (34.0%) would accept the person they care for to be vaccinated. Willingness to be vaccinated was associated with receiving an influenza shot in 2020 (odds ratio (OR) = 9.17, 95% confidence interval (CI = 1.15–73.47), the beliefs that vaccines are generally safe (OR = 7.90, 95% CI = 2.43–25.74) and that they are the only convenient way to gain immunity (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.02–15.05). Respondents were hesitant to accept the COVID-19 vaccine if they thought it could cause the infection (OR = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.04–0.49). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is frequent among PWE and their caregivers. It is probably related to erroneous beliefs about their safety and mechanism of action. |
| Published |
Basel : MDPI |
| Type |
Journal article |
| Language |
English |
| Publication date |
2021 |
| CC license |
|
