Factors associated with vaccination among inflammatory bowel disease patients in Korea

Vaccinations are generally recommended in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, several studies showed low rates of vaccinations in IBD patients. Furthermore, vaccination rate among IBD patients in Korea has never been investigated. We investigated the vaccination rate among IBD patients in Korea and evaluated some factors that might affect the vaccination rate.

From November 2011 to February 2012, a total of 192 patients with IBD who visited Samsung Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) answered the IRB-approved questionnaire. The questionnaire included their sex, age, residence, past medical history, type of IBD, duration of illness, medications, history of vaccination about measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), varicella, tetanus-diphtheria (Td), influenza, hepatitis A and B, pneumococcus and human papilloma virus (HPV).

One hundred twenty one (63.0%) male and 71 (37.0%) female answered the questionnaire. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 39.7 (18-76) years. Eighty four patients (43.8%) had ulcerative colitis and 108 patients (56.3%) had Crohn's disease (CD). The percentage of the patients who had got vaccination was 42.2% for MMR, 34.9% for varicella, 15.6% for Td, 37.5% for influenza, 15.6% for hepatitis A, 52.6% for hepatitis B, 6.3% for pneumococcus and 11.3% for HPV respectively. Not knowing the necessity or the existence were the common reasons for non-vaccination. Age less than 40 years, CD patients and duration of illness less than 10 years were associated with a higher vaccination rate (p=0.002, 0.015 and 0.020, respectively).

Immunization rates for recommended vaccinations were very low in patients with IBD. Efforts to improve vaccination rate are needed.