Low COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among Psychiatric Inpatients: Implications for Institutional Settings and Outreach...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including individuals with serious mental illness (SMI).
• Vaccination is a critical tool for mitigating severe outcomes from COVID-19.
• Understanding vaccination disparities in SMI populations is essential for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine and compare COVID-19 vaccination rates among patients admitted to psychiatric services versus medical and surgical services within a large New York State health system.
• To identify potential disparities in vaccination uptake among individuals with serious mental illness.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study compared COVID-19 vaccination status between April 6, 2021, and September 30, 2021.
• Data were analyzed for 12,714 patients admitted to psychiatric, medical, and surgical units.
• Statistical adjustments were made for demographic and clinical characteristics.

Main Results:

• Only 40% of patients admitted to psychiatric services were vaccinated, compared to 64.4% of those on medical/surgical units.
• After adjustment, psychiatric patients had a significantly lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination (risk ratio=0.78).
• Black psychiatric patients exhibited the lowest vaccination rate at 28%.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with serious mental illness admitted to psychiatric units demonstrated low COVID-19 vaccination rates during the study period.
• Significant disparities in vaccination exist between psychiatric and medical/surgical patient populations.
• Targeted outreach strategies are crucial to enhance COVID-19 vaccine accessibility and uptake among psychiatric patients.