POS1196 SARS-CoV-2 VACCINE ACCEPTANCE AND ASSOCIATED PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES

Abstract

Background: The mortality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) is as high as approximately 10% [1]. Therefore, vaccination promotion is a critical issue. However, there are few reports on the psychological aspects of patient vaccine acceptance. Objectives: To investigate the intention of patients with RMD to receive the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine and explore the psychological factors related to vaccine acceptance. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey of 406 outpatients with RMD at Shiga General Hospital from July to October 2021. The questionnaire included the following sections: (1) vaccination status; (2) expectation of susceptibility to severe COVID-19; (3) expectation of vaccine efficacy; and (4) anxiety about the vaccine, which included concerns on I) the diminishing effect of the vaccine due to current treatment and II) the influence of vaccination on: i) primary disease status, ii) treatment, and iii) adverse reaction. Results: There were 305 vaccinated and 101 unvaccinated individuals. Unvacci-nated individuals were classifed into the acceptance group (n=60) and hesitancy group (n=41) according to their vaccination status (Figure 1). We compared the backgrounds and awareness of the patients on vaccination between the two groups. Univariate analysis did not show any difference in the backgrounds. The expectation of susceptibility to severe COVID-19 was similar in both groups. There were also no signifcant differences in the vaccine-related anxiety levels. However, the expectation of vaccine efficacy was higher in the acceptance group and signifcantly influenced vaccination intention as revealed by multivariate analyses (Table 1). Conclusion: The perception of vaccine efficacy is strongly correlated with vaccine acceptance. In order to promote vaccination in patients with RMDs, this study suggests that emphasizing the efficacy of the vaccine may be more effective than alleviating anxiety about the adverse effects of the vaccine.