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COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Trends Among Immunocompromised Patients
Bojan Lazarevic1, Allison R Casola1, Christopher V Chambers1
1From the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (BL); Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (ARC, CVC).
Insights
COVID-19 vaccination trends in immunocompromised patients show that while most received 3+ mRNA doses, disparities exist, particularly between Black and White patients. Primary care should focus on patient-centered vaccine education to improve rates.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Immunocompromised individuals face higher risks of severe COVID-19.
- Assessing vaccination trends is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate COVID-19 vaccination patterns among immunocompromised patients in an urban primary care setting.
- To identify trends in mRNA vaccine uptake within this vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 887 immunocompromised patients from January 2021 to May 2022.
- Data collected included demographics, diagnoses, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status (doses and type).
- Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used for analysis.
Main Results:
- 62.7% of patients received 3 or more mRNA vaccine doses; 37.3% received 2 or fewer.
- Solid tumors (62.6%) and HIV/AIDS (23.8%) were common diagnoses.
- Significant disparities noted, with 42% of Black patients receiving 2 or fewer doses compared to White patients.
Conclusions:
- Despite high overall vaccination rates, significant racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake exist among immunocompromised patients.
- Primary care providers must enhance patient-centered education to address these disparities.
- Targeted outreach is essential to improve vaccination coverage in vulnerable populations.
Introduction:
Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of contracting severe COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination trends of immunocompromised patients at a large, urban primary care setting.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review of immunocompromised patients who had a visit between 1/1/2021 and 5/15/2022 at Thomas Jefferson University's Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) was conducted. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, number of visits to the DFCM, immunocompromising diagnoses, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status, including vaccination type and number of vaccine doses received. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Paired t tests were conducted to assess relationships between immunocompromised patients with ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses and those with ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses.
Results:
A total of 887 patients were included. Most patients were Black (66.7%), above the age of 50 (82.1%), and male (55.9%). Solid tumor cancers (62.6%) and HIV/AIDS (23.8%) were the most represented immunocompromising diagnoses. Overall, 556 patients received ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses (62.7%) and 331 patients received ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses (37.3%). Eighty-three patients (9.4%) had no COVID-19 vaccines on record. Of the 591 Black patients, 248 (42%) received ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses.
Conclusion:
Despite the majority of the sample receiving ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses, disparities in vaccination rates exist, especially when comparing White and Black patients. Vaccination rates in immunocompromised patients should be improved, and primary care providers should prioritize outreach efforts focusing on patient-centered COVID-19 vaccine education in these populations.
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