Will vaccine hesitancy compromise our efforts to face the next SARS-CoV-2 epidemic wave?

Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2021 Jun 3;17(6):1664-1665. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1829413. Epub 2020 Nov 12.

Abstract

We have checked the vaccination history of 389 elderly patients (62.9% males, mean age of 78.5 + 8.4 years) hospitalized for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia. Information regarding pneumococcal vaccination was available for 354 patients (91.0%): the overall vaccination coverage rate (VCR) was 19.8% (70/354), 11.3% received only 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), 3.4% were immunized with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23), 5.1% received both vaccines. VCR among the elderly population in Liguria Region was 26.2% (118,581/453,082), among them 13.7% received PCV13, 12.4% were immunized with at least one dose of PPSV23. Regarding the 2019-2020 influenza season vaccination data were available for 46 patients: 59% of them were immunized. VCR in the elderly population was 51.7% (234,153/453,082).

Keywords: Hesitancy; Italy; Streptococcus pneumoniae; influenza; vaccine.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • COVID-19*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Influenza, Human* / epidemiology
  • Influenza, Human* / prevention & control
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Seasons
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology
  • Vaccination
  • Vaccines, Conjugate

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Conjugate