Rheumatology university faculty opinion on coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines: the vaXurvey study from Egypt

Nevin Hammam; Samar Tharwat; Rawhya R El Shereef; Ahmed M Elsaman; Noha M Khalil; Hanan M Fathi; Mohamed N Salem; Hanan M El-Saadany; Nermeen Samy; Amany S El-Bahnasawy; Yousra H Abdel-Fattah; Marwa A Amer; Emad ElShebini; Amira T El-Shanawany; Dina H El-Hammady; Rasha Abdel Noor; Marwa ElKhalifa; Faten Ismail; Rasha M Fawzy; Amany R El-Najjar; Zahraa I Selim; Nouran M Abaza; Ahmed R Radwan; Mervat IAbd Elazeem; Wael Abdel Mohsen; Abdel Hafeez Moshrif; Eman F Mohamed; Loay I Aglan; Soha Senara; Maha E Ibrahim; Iman Khalifa; Rasha El Owaidy; Noha El Fakharany; Reem Hamdy A Mohammed; Tamer A Gheita; Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR) COVID-19 Study Group

doi:10.1007/s00296-021-04941-0

Rheumatology university faculty opinion on coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines: the vaXurvey study from Egypt

Rheumatol Int. 2021 Sep;41(9):1607-1616. doi: 10.1007/s00296-021-04941-0. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Authors

Nevin Hammam^{1

2}, Samar Tharwat³, Rawhya R El Shereef⁴, Ahmed M Elsaman⁵, Noha M Khalil⁶, Hanan M Fathi⁷, Mohamed N Salem⁸, Hanan M El-Saadany⁹, Nermeen Samy¹⁰, Amany S El-Bahnasawy¹¹, Yousra H Abdel-Fattah¹², Marwa A Amer¹², Emad ElShebini¹³, Amira T El-Shanawany¹⁴, Dina H El-Hammady¹⁵, Rasha Abdel Noor¹⁶, Marwa ElKhalifa¹⁷, Faten Ismail⁴, Rasha M Fawzy¹⁸, Amany R El-Najjar¹⁹, Zahraa I Selim², Nouran M Abaza²⁰, Ahmed R Radwan⁵, Mervat IAbd Elazeem²¹, Wael Abdel Mohsen²², Abdel Hafeez Moshrif²³, Eman F Mohamed²⁴, Loay I Aglan²⁵, Soha Senara⁷, Maha E Ibrahim²⁶, Iman Khalifa²⁷, Rasha El Owaidy²⁸, Noha El Fakharany²⁹, Reem Hamdy A Mohammed²⁹, Tamer A Gheita³⁰; Egyptian College of Rheumatology (ECR) COVID-19 Study Group

Affiliations

¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
² Rheumatology Department, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.
³ Rheumatology Unit, Internal Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.
⁴ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt.
⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
⁶ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁷ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt.
⁸ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Gharbia, Egypt.
¹⁰ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Dakahlia, Egypt.
¹² Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹³ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.
¹⁴ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt.
¹⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
¹⁶ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Tanta University, Gharbia, Egypt.
¹⁷ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
¹⁸ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Kalubia, Egypt.
¹⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Sharkia, Egypt.
²⁰ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
²¹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
²² Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
²³ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt.
²⁴ Internal Medicine Department, Rheumatology Unit, Faculty of Medicine (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
²⁵ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt.
²⁶ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez-Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
²⁷ Pediatrics Department, Rheumatology and Nephrology Unit, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
²⁸ Pediatrics Department, Rheumatology Unit, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
²⁹ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
³⁰ Rheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. gheitamer@hotmail.com.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the present work was to explore the perspectives of Egyptian Rheumatology staff members as regards the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccine.

Methods: The survey is composed of 25 questions. Some questions were adapted from the global rheumatology alliance COVID-19 survey for patients.

Results: 187 rheumatology staff members across Egypt from 18 universities and authorizations actively participated with a valid response. The mean time needed to complete the survey was 17.7 ± 13 min. Participants were 159 (85%) females (F:M 5.7:1). One-third agreed that they will be vaccinated once available, 24.6% have already received at least one dose, 29.4% are unsure while 16% will not take it. Furthermore, 70.1% agreed that they will recommend it to the rheumatic diseases (RD) patients once available, 24.1% are not sure while 5.9% will not recommend it. RD priority to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in descending order include SLE (82.9%), RA (55.1%), vasculitis (51.3%), systemic sclerosis (39.6%), MCTD (31.6%), Behcet's disease (28.3%). The most common drugs to be avoided before vaccination included biologics (71.7%), DMARDs (44.4%), biosimilars (26.7%), IVIg (17.1%) and NSAIDs (9.1%).

Conclusions: The results of the study and specifically the low rate of acceptability are alarming to Egyptian health authorities and should stir further interventions to reduce the levels of vaccine hesitancy. As rheumatic disease patients in Egypt were not systematically provided with the vaccine till present, making the vaccine available could as well enhance vaccine acceptance. Further studies to investigate any possible side effects, on a large scale of RD patients are warranted.

Keywords: Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19); Egyptian; Rheumatology staff members; Vaccines.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Observational Study

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel*
COVID-19
COVID-19 Vaccines / administration & dosage*
COVID-19 Vaccines / adverse effects
Egypt
Female
Humans
Male
Pandemics
Rheumatic Diseases / drug therapy
Rheumatic Diseases / psychology
Rheumatology / methods*
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires
Universities
Vaccination / psychology*
Vaccination / statistics & numerical data
Vaccination Refusal / psychology

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines