Physician Perspectives on Vaccination in Patients With Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: An International Survey

Philip Seo; Kevin Winthrop; Amr H Sawalha; Serim Choi; Hyun Ah Park; Woochang Hwang; Eun Bong Lee; Jin Kyun Park

doi:10.3899/jrheum.220135

Physician Perspectives on Vaccination in Patients With Autoimmune Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: An International Survey

J Rheumatol. 2023 Feb;50(2):246-251. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.220135. Epub 2022 Nov 1.

Authors

Philip Seo¹, Kevin Winthrop², Amr H Sawalha³, Serim Choi⁴, Hyun Ah Park⁵, Woochang Hwang⁶, Eun Bong Lee⁴, Jin Kyun Park⁷

Affiliations

¹ P. Seo, MD, MHS, Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
² K. Winthrop, MD, MPH, Division of Infectious Diseases, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
³ A.H. Sawalha, MD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, and Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, and Lupus Center of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁴ S. Choi, MD, E.B. Lee, MD, PhD, J.K. Park, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
⁵ H.A. Park, MD, MPH, PhD, Department of Family Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
⁶ W. Hwang, PhD, Department of Pre-Medicine, College of Medicine, and Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.
⁷ S. Choi, MD, E.B. Lee, MD, PhD, J.K. Park, MD, PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; jinkyunpark@snu.ac.kr.

PMID: 36319001
DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.220135

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the perspective of physicians who care for patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease (AIIRD) toward vaccination.

Methods: Physicians who care for patients with AIIRD were invited to participate in an online survey regarding their vaccination perspectives in adult patients with AIIRD.

Results: Survey responses of 370 physicians from Asia (41.1%), North America (41.6%), Europe (13.8%), and other countries (3.5%) were analyzed. Participants stated that rheumatologists (58.2%) should be primarily responsible for vaccination coverage, followed by general internists (19.3%) and family medicine practitioners (12.8%). Additionally, 96.7% of participants considered vaccination very important (≥ 4/5 rating) for patients with AIIRD. Despite these sentiments, only one-third (37%) reported vaccinating the majority (≥ 60%) of their patients.

Conclusion: Physicians who care for patients with AIIRD agree that vaccines are effective and safe in patients with AIIRD. Unfortunately, they often do not ensure that their patients are adequately vaccinated. Further studies are needed to investigate how to improve vaccination coverage for this high-risk patient population.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; guideline; immunosuppressant; survey; vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Autoimmune Diseases* / epidemiology
Humans
Physicians*
Rheumatic Diseases* / epidemiology
Vaccination
Vaccines*

Substances

Vaccines