Abstract
Introduction
In January 2021 the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was coupled to high case numbers and mortality worldwide and in Germany. The start of the vaccination campaign was initially characterized by limited availability and uncertainty but rapidly gained momentum. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) were prioritized at an early stage due to the high risk for a severe disease trajectory. In this group vaccination proved to be effective and greatly reduced the risk of a severe course. The aim of the study was to ascertain the willingness for vaccination and the influencing factors in patients with IRD in order to optimize vaccination strategies and to reach vulnerable groups more easily.Methods
Between January and April 2021 a nationwide survey was carried out in Germany among N= 3661 patients with IRD and N=381 control patients with other chronic internal diseases. The questionnaire covered willingness to undergo vaccination against COVID-19 and demographic and disease-related variables. For the analysis, "willing to be vaccinated" and "already vaccinated" were pooled ("vaccination willingness") and compared the unwilling. The statistical evaluation was carried out using χ2-tests, odds ratio (OR) analyses and logistic regression to identify independent influencing factors.Results
The proportions of those willing to be vaccinated were comparable in both groups with 90% very high (IRD 89.2% and control group 93.9%). They continually increased in both groups during the observational period and with increasing age. Another strong predictor was a previously carried out simultaneous vaccination for influenza, which was associated with a significantly higher willingness to be vaccinated in both groups.Conclusion
The willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of the vaccination rollout in Germany was high. For patients with IRD, it was predicted by age, previous vaccination against influenza and the timing of vaccination but not the subtype of IRD or the type of immunomodulatory medication. Young patients with IRD in particular should be systematically identified as a risk group with a low willingness to be vaccinated. For this patient group an intensified target group-specific vaccination counselling should be integrated into the clinical care, which specifically addresses suitable information channels for those affected.