Vaccine hesitancy and access to psoriasis care in the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a global patient-reported cross-sectional survey

Summary Background COVID-19 vaccination is efficacious at protecting against severe COVID-19 outcomes in the general population. However, vaccine hesitancy (unwillingness for vaccination despite available vaccination services) threatens public health. Individuals taking immunosuppression for psoriasis have been prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination, however there is a paucity of information on vaccine hesitancy in this population, including contributing factors. While global healthcare has been severely disrupted in the pandemic, the impact on access to psoriasis care and whether this may negatively influence vaccine uptake, is underexplored. Objectives To explore organisational and individual factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in individuals with psoriasis. Methods Individuals with psoriasis, identified through global patient organisations and social media, completed a cross-sectional self-reported online survey. The primary outcome was COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between predictor variables (organisational and individual factors) and outcome. Results Self-reported data from 802 individuals with psoriasis across 89 countries were available (65.6% female, median age 51 years [IQR 37-61], 43.7% taking systemic immunosuppression). Eight percent (n=63) reported vaccine hesitancy. Those reporting vaccine hesitancy were younger, more likely to be of non-white ethnicity, non-UK resident, have a lower BMI, not taking systemic immunosuppression and with shorter disease duration compared to those not reporting vaccine hesitancy. The commonest reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns regarding vaccine side-effects, that the vaccine is too new or that psoriasis may worsen post-vaccination. Forty percent (n=322) reported that their psoriasis care had been disrupted by the pandemic. These individuals were younger, of non-white ethnicity, with shorter duration and more severe psoriasis. Disruption to psoriasis care was associated with vaccine hesitancy (unadjusted OR 2.97 (95%CI 1.23-7.13), p=0.015), although not statistically significant in the adjusted model. Conclusion A minority of individuals with psoriasis from our study reported COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Similar to general population trends, vaccine hesitancy in our psoriasis sample is most common in younger age and ethnic minority groups. Our data highlight patient concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination, which are important to address during patient-clinician interactions to help optimise vaccine uptake and mitigate risks from the ongoing pandemic in individuals with psoriasis. Key points What’s already known about this topic? The COVID-19 vaccine is highly efficacious at protecting against severe COVID-19 outcomes in the general population. Vaccine hesitancy (unwillingness to receive vaccination despite available vaccination services) poses a major threat to global public health and is more common in women, younger age and ethnic minority groups in the general population. Individuals with psoriasis taking systemic immunosuppression were considered at high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes and prioritised for vaccination, however there is a paucity of information on vaccine hesitancy in this group, including contributing factors. While global healthcare has been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, access to psoriasis care and its potential impact on vaccine hesitancy is underexplored. What does this study add? A substantial proportion (40%) of individuals with psoriasis reported disrupted access to psoriasis care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disrupted care was most commonly reported in younger age and ethnic minority groups. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was reported by a minority (8%) of individuals with psoriasis. Those reporting vaccine hesitancy were younger and more likely to be of non-white ethnicity, in keeping with trends in the general population. The commonest reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns regarding vaccine side effects, that the vaccine is too new or that psoriasis may worsen post-vaccination. These concerns are important to address during patient-clinician interactions to help mitigate risks from the ongoing pandemic in individuals with psoriasis.