Vaccination willingness in association with personality traits in patients with multiple sclerosis in the course of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Abstract

Vaccination is a key strategy for controlling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Acceptance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines by chronically ill patients, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, plays an important role in prevention of complicated disease course. This longitudinal, prospective, multi-centre-study of German MS-patients aimed to detect socio-demographic, clinical, or psychological determinants of attitudes towards standard vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, and governmental measures before/during the pandemic. Exactly 404 MS-patients were investigated by standardized questionnaires and structured interviews on socio-demographic, clinical-neurological, and psychological characteristics, vaccination status, and vaccination from June 2019. Data on SARS-CoV-2 vaccination willingness were collected in two follow-up assessments (1st: June to July 2020, before SARS-CoV-2 vaccine availability, N = 200; 2nd: March to May 2021, after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine availability, N = 157). Age, sex, MS course type, depression, and personality characteristics (Extraversion, Novelty seeking, Self-directedness, and Cooperativeness) were significantly associated with vaccination willingness. Although the majority of MS-patients showed SARS-CoV-2 vaccination willingness at both follow-ups (1st: 60%, 2nd: 61%), a substantial proportion had concerns and were undecided or opposed to vaccination. Socio-demographic variables like age and sex, psychopathological status, and various personality characteristics might influence vaccination willingness and should be considered when discussing with MS-patients about SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Vaccination status and self-reported side effects after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in relation to psychological and clinical variables in patients with multiple sclerosis

“…This study revealed a relatively high actual SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rate compared to 65% of MS patients with willingness to become vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 in a previous study by Heidler et al 24 . We were able to show that patients who were willing to receive the recommended standard vaccinations prior to the pandemic were also more often vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.…”

“…At baseline, sociodemographic data, e.g., age, sex, and educational level, as well as clinical data, e.g., course of MS, duration of disease, degree of disability according to the EDSS 38 , and comorbidities of the patients, have been acquired 24 . Comorbidities were categorized by organ system.…”

“…Various sociodemographic and clinical factors as well as psychologic characteristics can impact the willingness or unwillingness to become vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 24 . Risk perception and fear of infectious diseases also appear to be important predictors of vaccination acceptance 25 .…”

Frequency and Predictors of Relapses following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Interim Results from a Longitudinal Observational Study

“…However, as with previous vaccines, there is general skepticism towards the efficacy, tolerability, and harmlessness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in parts of the population, and especially among PwMS [15][16][17]. Single reports on demyelinating events following these vaccinations stirred concerns that relapses may be triggered by vaccinations, attack rates might be increased, or pre-existing symptoms could be worsened in temporal association with vaccination dates.…”

Neuroticism predicts national vaccination rates across 56 countries

“…Neuroticism, which is directly related to emotional reactivity and sensitivity to threat, appears to be of prime importance for the adoption of a strategy for dealing with a large-scale lethal threat. Neuroticism has been proposed as being important for public health (Lahey, 2009 ), and, some recent papers have shown that neuroticism positively predicts Covid-19 vaccine acceptance in the UK general population (Halstead et al, 2022 ) as well as the stability of intention (i.e., attitudes) toward recommended standard vaccinations in German patients with multiple sclerosis (Heidler et al, 2022 ). We hypothesized that this factor represents an excellent candidate to predict a significant part of variability in vaccination rates across countries.…”