Assessment of Vaccine Literacy in People Affected by Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study From Italy

Vaccine literacy (VL) is an individual's ability to obtain, understand, and use information related to vaccines to make informed health decisions. This concept is strongly correlated with vaccine hesitancy, which is common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study aims to assess VL in people with MS.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2023 to September 2023 at the MS Policlinic of Bari. A structured questionnaire of 10 questions from the European Health Literacy Survey Consortium covered vaccination behavior, beliefs, trust, and perceived risks, and 4 questions from the Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021 Vaccine (HLS19-VAC) tool covered access, understanding, evaluation, and application of vaccination information.

There were 157 respondents (mean age, 34.77 years; 86.4% women; 90.4% with relapsing-remitting MS). Fewer than half (41.4%) had a high school diploma, 73.9% were employed, and 93% were satisfied with nursing care. The HLS19-VAC questionnaire results revealed high vaccination adherence (99%) but mixed beliefs about vaccine safety and efficacy. Trust in vaccines was generally high, though VL scores were lower. Significant correlations were found between VL and education level.

Findings from this study reveal high vaccination adherence and trust among people with MS, but VL remains low, leading to misconceptions and hesitancy. Interventions tailored to age and education level offered by health care providers, especially MS nurses, are essential to improve VL and reduce vaccine hesitancy.