COVID‐19 vaccine acceptability among people in Australia who inject drugs: Implications for vaccine rollout

Abstract

Introduction Vaccine acceptability is a key determinant of vaccination uptake. Despite being at risk of adverse outcomes from coronavirus‐19 disease (COVID‐19), COVID‐19 vaccine acceptability among people who inject drugs is unknown. We surveyed people who inject drugs in Melbourne, Australia to assess potential uptake of COVID‐19 vaccines prior to distribution. Methods Cross‐sectional study, comprising interviewer‐administered structured telephone interviews completed from 30 November to 22 December 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were people aged 18 years or older who injected drugs at least monthly in the past 6 months and had resided in Melbourne in the past 12 months recruited via needle‐syringe programs and word‐of‐mouth. Measurements COVID‐19 hypothetical vaccine acceptability, participants' demographic, drug use and drug treatment characteristics. Results Fifty‐eight percent (57/99) of the sample reported that they would definitely or probably be vaccinated for COVID‐19, with the remainder indicating that they would not (22%) or were undecided (20%). Among those who indicated that they would definitely or probably not be vaccinated or were undecided ( n = 42), safety concerns were most often cited as a reason for not wanting to be vaccinated. Discussion and Conclusions Although a majority of sampled people who inject drugs indicated that they would definitely or probably be vaccinated, efforts to reduce hesitancy and allay COVID‐19 vaccine safety concerns will be necessary to optimise vaccine uptake among this population.

COVID‐19 vaccine acceptability among people in Australia who inject drugs: Update from the 2021 Illicit Drug Reporting System interviews

“…Here, we present preliminary findings of COVID‐19 vaccination intentions from IDRS interviews that occurred in June–July 2021 across all Australian capital cities. Recruitment methods and eligibility criteria were similar to those described previously [ 9 ]. In brief, eligible participants were at least 18 years of age, currently residing in a capital city and had injected drugs at least monthly in the past 6 months.…”

“…A recent paper involving the authors in Drug and Alcohol Review [ 9 ] described the acceptability of a hypothetical COVID‐19 vaccine among a sample of 100 people who regularly inject drugs from Melbourne, Australia interviewed in late 2020 as part of the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). At this time, the second wave of COVID‐19 cases was subsiding in Victoria (largely based in Melbourne; peak 725 daily cases 5 August), stringent mobility restrictions were being eased, and initial results from Phase III trials of candidate vaccines had been released.…”

COVID-19 Impact on Australian Patients with Substance Use Disorders: Emergency Department Admissions in Western Sydney before Vaccine Roll Out

“…There could be multiple factors for low vaccination rates among patients with SUD, such as lack of readiness [44], prioritisation, and lack of trust in COVID-19 vaccination [20]. A cross-sectional survey conducted in late 2020 among injection drug-users in Melbourne showed that only 58% (57/99) of participants reported that they would definitely or probably be vaccinated for COVID-19, with the remainder indicating that they would not (22%) or were undecided (20%) [45]. A cross-sectional survey among a sample of clients in California residential SUD treatment programs on COVID-19 vaccine trust showed that only 39.5% trusted COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective, even though most were aware of modes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [46].…”

COVID‐19 vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy among people with opioid use disorder in Barcelona, Spain

“…However, they are a population characterised by low‐estimated vaccination coverage for other recommended vaccines, including pneumococcal, diphteria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and influenza [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In the case of the COVID‐19 vaccine, previous studies regarding the vaccine roll‐out in developed countries have shown a high prevalence of hesitancy among people with SUD [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Data from an Australian National Drug Surveillance System showed that only 57% of the people who inject drugs would definitely or probably receive a COVID‐19 vaccine if available, which was significantly lower than the 77% observed in the broader Australian population [ 17 ].…”

“…In the case of the COVID‐19 vaccine, previous studies regarding the vaccine roll‐out in developed countries have shown a high prevalence of hesitancy among people with SUD [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Data from an Australian National Drug Surveillance System showed that only 57% of the people who inject drugs would definitely or probably receive a COVID‐19 vaccine if available, which was significantly lower than the 77% observed in the broader Australian population [ 17 ]. Less than half of the individuals from a Californian residential SUD treatment program trusted that a COVID‐19 vaccine would be safe and effective [ 18 ].…”