Assessing Attitudes and Knowledge of Mpox Vaccine Among Unvaccinated Men Who Have Sex With Men

The 2022 mpox outbreak disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Mpox cases continue to be reported nationally. Vaccination is a tool to prevent the spread of and serious disease from mpox. To understand mpox vaccine uptake and hesitancy, a virtual focus group with unvaccinated GBMSM was conducted.

In November 2022, a 60-minute, virtual focus group was conducted within an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that engages participants in chat-based conversation. The AI system uses machine learning and natural language processing to analyze and provide results immediately to the moderator. Descriptive frequencies, cross-tabulations, and qualitative themes were analyzed.

Fifty-one GBMSM aged 18 to 55 years participated, of whom 12 had attempted to get the mpox vaccine. The top barriers in accessing the vaccine included challenges in scheduling appointments (4 of 12), available vaccine locations (3 of 12), and transportation (2 of 12). Nine participants reported not wanting the vaccine, and 22 were undecided; of these, 15 (4 of 9 and 11 of 22, respectively) said they did not think they needed the vaccine due to low perceived risk or monogamy. Among the undecided, after receiving health messaging about mpox, 12 of 22 said the messaging made them reconsider getting the vaccine.

During an outbreak, many unvaccinated GBMSM who may be at increased risk for mpox either wanted the vaccine or, with appropriate health messaging, may be open to getting the vaccine. Messaging about mpox vaccine efficacy, potential side effects, and how to access the vaccine may improve vaccine uptake especially as cases continue to occur.