Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in a medium secure psychiatric hospital population

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Medium secure hospitals house patients with complex mental health needs, potentially increasing COVID-19 vulnerability.
• Understanding vaccine acceptance in this population is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate COVID-19 vaccine uptake among inpatients in a medium secure hospital.
• To identify factors influencing vaccine acceptance and refusal in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Service evaluation of all current inpatients in one English medium secure hospital.
• Retrospective data collection from clinical records on consent capacity, acceptance/refusal, and demographics.
• Analysis of vaccine uptake rates and reasons for refusal.

Main Results:

• 85 patients (92.4%) had capacity to consent to the COVID-19 vaccine.
• 68 patients (80.0%) consented, while 17 (20.0%) declined.
• Patients from Black Asian minority ethnic backgrounds were more likely to decline vaccination than White British patients.
• Age did not significantly impact consent rates.
• Reasons for refusal mirrored those observed in the general population.

Conclusions:

• High COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was observed in this medium secure hospital population.
• Ethnic disparities in vaccine refusal warrant further investigation and targeted interventions.
• The findings suggest that standard public health messaging may be applicable, with considerations for specific demographic groups.