Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

BackgroundHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases are rising in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. People living with HIV (PLWH) in Kazakhstan are at heightened risk of severe COVID-19. We conducted a study to evaluate determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Kazakhstan.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 196 PLWH were recruited from the Almaty City AIDS Center (July 2022-January 2023). We used logistic regression to evaluate how multilevel factors are associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Kazakhstan.ResultsCOVID-19 vaccine non-uptake was associated with higher HIV stigma scores (AOR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.02,1.16, P = 0.017), a lower level of education (AOR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.04,6.17, P = 0.0412), and never receiving the flu vaccine (AOR = 15.64, 95%CI:3.66,66.89, P = 0.0002). Participants with at least mild anxiety symptoms (AOR = 0.15, 95%CI:0.03,0.64, P = 0.0107) and a positive attitude towards vaccination (AOR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.73,0.86, P < 0.0001) were less likely to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.ConclusionsCOVID-19 vaccination campaigns should be tailored for PLWH and incorporate stigma reduction interventions within healthcare settings.