COVID-19 Vaccination Rates in a Global HIV Cohort

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• HIV Medicine

Background:

• People with HIV (PWH) are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes.
• Limited data exist on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates within the PWH population.
• Understanding vaccination patterns is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess COVID-19 vaccination rates among PWH participating in the REPRIEVE trial.
• To compare these rates with global and regional vaccination data.
• To identify factors associated with vaccination uptake in PWH.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of COVID-19 vaccination status in 6952 PWH from the REPRIEVE study.
• Comparison of vaccination rates against region- and country-specific data up to July 2021.
• Multivariable analysis to identify factors associated with vaccination.

Main Results:

• The overall COVID-19 vaccination probability was 55% among REPRIEVE participants by end of July 2021.
• Vaccination rates showed substantial variation across Global Burden of Disease (GBD) superregions.
• Factors associated with higher vaccination rates included residing in high-income regions, older age, white race, male sex, higher BMI, and greater cardiovascular risk.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 vaccination uptake among PWH in the REPRIEVE trial was 55% by mid-2021, with significant regional disparities.
• Socioeconomic and demographic factors, including income, age, race, sex, BMI, and cardiovascular risk, were associated with vaccination status.
• Further research and targeted strategies are needed to improve equitable COVID-19 vaccine access and uptake in PWH globally.