Rheumatology international

2021-04-19

Fragoulis GE; Grigoropoulos I; Mavrea E; Arida A; Bournia VK; Evangelatos G; Fragiadaki K; Karamanakos A; Kravvariti E; Panopoulos S; Pappa M; Thomas K; Tektonidou MG; Paraskevis D; Vassilopoulos D; Sfikakis PP

Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece. geofragoul@yahoo.gr.; 2nd Department of Medicine and Laboratory, Clinical Immunology-Rheumatology Unit, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.; 2nd Department of Medicine and Laboratory, Clinical Immunology-Rheumatology Unit, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; 2nd Department of Medicine and Laboratory, Clinical Immunology-Rheumatology Unit, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.; Department of Hygiene Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.; 2nd Department of Medicine and Laboratory, Clinical Immunology-Rheumatology Unit, Hippokration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.; Rheumatology Unit, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Joint Rheumatology Program, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, MikrasAsias 75 Street, 11527, Athens, Greece.

To assess non-compliance and potential changes in seasonal flu vaccination coverage before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). Consecutive patients with ARDs followed-up in 2 tertiary hospitals were telephone-interviewed (December 12-30, 2020) regarding seasonal flu vaccination during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 time periods. Self-reported disease flares that occurred after flu vaccination, as well as reasons for non-vaccination were recorded. One thousand fifteen patients were included. The rate of flu vaccination increased from 76% before to 83% during the COVID-19 pandemic (p = 0.0001). The rate of self-reported disease flares was < 1% among vaccinated patients. Reasons for not vaccination in both periods, respectively, included: 'was not recommended by their rheumatologists' (35.0vs.12.2%, p < 0.0001), 'did not feel that they would have any benefit' (36.9 vs. 32.6%), felt unsafe to do so (27.5 vs. 30.2%), or other reasons (18.9 vs. 23.8%). By multivariate analysis, age [OR = 1.03 (95% CI 1.02-1.04)] vs. [1.04 (95% CI 1.02-1.05)] and treatment with biologics [OR = 1.66 (95% CI 1.22-2.24) vs. [1.68 (95% CI 1.19-2.38)] were independent factors associated with vaccination in both periods. These findings, although are temporally encouraging, emphasize the need for continuous campaigns aiming at increasing patients' and physicians' awareness about the benefits of vaccination.