RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Trends Among Immunocompromised Patients
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP jabfm.2023.230028R1
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2023.230028R1
A1 Lazarevic, Bojan
A1 Casola, Allison R.
A1 Chambers, Christopher V.
YR 2024
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/early/2023/12/27/jabfm.2023.230028R1.abstract
AB Introduction: Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of contracting severe COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination trends of immunocompromised patients at a large, urban primary care setting.Methods: A retrospective chart review of immunocompromised patients who had a visit between 1/1/2021 and 5/15/2022 at Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) was conducted. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics, number of visits to the DFCM, immunocompromising diagnoses, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccination status, including vaccination type and number of vaccine doses received. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Paired t tests were conducted to assess relationships between immunocompromised patients with ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses and those with ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses.Results: A total of 887 patients were included. Most patients were Black (66.7%), above the age of 50 (82.1%), and male (55.9%). Solid tumor cancers (62.6%) and HIV/AIDS (23.8%) were the most represented immunocompromising diagnoses. Overall, 556 patients received ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses (62.7%) and 331 patients received ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses (37.3%). Eighty-three patients (9.4%) had no COVID-19 vaccines on record. Of the 591 Black patients, 248 (42%) received ≤2 mRNA vaccine doses.Conclusion: Despite the majority of the sample receiving ≥3 mRNA vaccine doses, disparities in vaccination rates exist, especially when comparing White and Black patients. Vaccination rates in immunocompromised patients should be improved, and primary care providers should prioritize outreach efforts focusing on patient-centered COVID-19 vaccine education in these populations.