1 Department of Rheumatology B, El Ayachi Hospital, Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
2 Exercise Physiology and Autonomous Nervous System Team, Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
3 Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
4 Day clinic, delegation of the Ministry of Health to the prefecture of Rabat, Regional Hospital Center, Rabat, Morocco.
5 International School of Public Health, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.
6 Hospital Medical Emergencies Service (UMH), Ibn Sina Hospital Center, Epidemiology and Clinical Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
7 Department of Rheumatology, Mohammed V Military Instruction Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
8 Moroccan Association of Polyarthritic and Spondyloarthritic Patients (AMPS), Casablanca, Morocco.
9 International University of Rabat (UIR), Rabat, Morocco.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(01), 255-262
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.23.1.1986
Received on 22 May 2024; revised on 28 June 2024; accepted on 01 July 2024
Objectives: This survey explores how patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases perceive the COVID-19 vaccine and what factors influence their decision to get vaccinated.
Methods: This anonymous phone survey employs a cross-sectional design to gather data from adult Moroccan patients (over 18 years old) diagnosed with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthropathy, and undifferentiated CIRD.
Results: A total of 321 participants responded to the questionnaire. The mean age of patients was 47.6±12 years and women represented 65.7% of the study population. The intention to vaccinate against Covid-19 was reported in 34.6% of the cases. Beliefs that Covid-19 vaccines were man-made, and that they are intended to inject microchips into recipients and that the vaccines were made to force people to get vaccinated were found in 22.7%, 3.2% and 8.7% of respondents, respectively. In univariate and multivariate analysis, the conspiracy beliefs that were associated with vaccination intention were the idea that Covid-19 vaccine was made to force people to get vaccinated (p<0.001) and to reduce world’s population (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The study revealed a low vaccination intention against COVID-19 among Moroccan CIRD patients. This association between COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories and vaccine hesitancy highlights the need for targeted awareness campaigns to combat misinformation and improve vaccine acceptance within this population.
Covid-19; Vaccination; Perceptions; Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease.
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Imane Bensaghir, Hanan Rkain, Ilham Aachari, Latifa Tahiri, Youssef Bentaleb, Laila Benbrahim, Kenza Hassouni, Redouane Abouqal, Lahsen Achemlal, Laila Najdi, Najia Hajjaj-Hassouni and Fadoua Allali. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(1), 255-262. Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.23.1.1986