Ab0093 Rate and Causes of Hesitancy in Covid-19 Vaccination in Korean Patients With Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: A Survey Study

Background: The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines were developed and used to control the COVID-19 infection and pandemic. According to the Korean college of rheumatology guidelines, patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) are recommended to take COVID-19 vaccination. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the COVID-19 vaccination rate and causes of the vaccine hesitancy in Korean AIRDs patients. Methods: In this paper-based survey study, we enrolled 118 patients with AIRDs who visited a single tertiary university hospital from March 2022 to April 2022. The questionnaire included the subject's demographic details, diagnosis, disease duration, medication, side effects after the vaccination and questions regarding the vaccine hesitancy. The vaccinated group refers to a group that took at least one vaccination and the hesitancy group refers to a group that did not take any vaccination. Results: Of the 118 patients with AIRDs, 101 (85.6%) were the vaccinated group and the 64 (63.4%) has completed 3rd vaccination whereas 17 (14.4%) were the hesitancy group. The most common AIRDs was ankylosing spondylitis (38.6%) in the vaccinated group and systemic lupus erythematosus (52.9%) in the hesitancy group, respectively. The frequency of glucocorticoids, conventional disease modifying anti-rheumaitc drugs (DMARDs) and immunosuppressants use were significantly higher, but the frequency of biologic DMARDs were significantly lower in the hesitancy group compared with the vaccinated group. The most common cause of vaccine hesitancy was a fear related to the side effects of vaccine (33%) followed by concerns for flare of AIRDs (20.8%). Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination rate was suboptimal in Korean patients with AIRDs and concerns for side effect of vaccination and flare of underlying diseases were leading causes for vaccination hesitancy, suggesting that rheumatologists should provide more accurate information to these patients regarding the need for COVID19 vaccination. REFERENCES: 1 Park JK, Lee EB, Shin K, Sung YK, Kim TH, Kwon SR, Lee MS, Hong SJ, Choi BY, Lee SS, Back HJ, on behalf of the Korean College of Rheumatology Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for Patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases. COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: Clinical Guidance of the Korean College of Rheumatology. J Korean Med Sci. 2021 Mar;36(12):e95. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e95 2 Gaur, P., Agrawat, H. 7:e001594. doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-001594. 5 Curtis, J.R., Johnson, S.R., Anthony, D.D., Arasaratnam, R.J., Baden, L.R., Bass, A.R., Calabrese, C., Gravallese, E.M., Harpaz, R., Kroger, A., Sadun, R.E., Turner, A.S., Williams, E.A. and Mikuls, T.R. (2021), American College of Rheumatology Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Version 3. Arthritis Rheumatol, 73: e60-e75. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.41928. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: None declared.