Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among maintenance hemodialysis patients: an Egyptian survey study

• Published in: Tropical Medicine and Health
• Main Authors: Samar Tharwat, Marwa K. Khairallah, Mohammed Kamal Nassar, Dalia Kamal Nassar, Eman Nagy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2022
• Subjects: COVID-19; Vaccination; Hemodialysis; Hesitancy; Acceptance; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-022-00434-3; https://doaj.org/article/77c82f3de03442ae979eaede3b18fbae

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality especially among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. COVID-19 vaccination is important to decrease risk and severity of COVID-19 infection. However, vaccine hesitancy is a significant barrier to vaccination. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the vaccine acceptability among Egyptian MHD patients. Methods We conducted a paper-based survey on 237 MHD patients in 2 tertiary Egyptian hemodialysis (HD) centers. The survey consisted of a questionnaire that addressed demographic and clinical data, knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 infection and vaccines, beliefs regarding both conventional and COVID-19 vaccines, intention of COVID-19 vaccination together with motivators for and barriers against vaccination, sources of information regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Results According to intention to be vaccinated, the patients were divided into vaccine acceptant (VA), hesitant (VH), and resistant (VR) groups who comprised 58.3%, 26.5%, and 15.2%, respectively. Only occupational status and residency were significantly different between the three groups. In 60% of VA group, fear of infection was the main motivator for vaccination. Meanwhile, 40% of VH and VR groups reported that fear of serious side effects of vaccines was the main barrier against vaccination. Television was the primary information source (58.6%) about COVID-19 vaccination while only 18% of patients got their COVID-19 vaccine information from their nephrologists. Conclusions More than half of MHD patients accept to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine acceptability is not associated with age, gender, educational level, but rather with employment status and residency.