Public's perspective on COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccines after thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) reports and associated regulatory actions - a cross-sectional study in six EU member states

Buhl, Caroline (author), Jacobsen, Ramune (author), Birna Almarsdóttir, Anna (author), Abtahi, Shahab (author), Andersen, Armin (author), Deligianni, Elena (author), Dermiki-Gkana, Foteini (author), Kontogiorgis, Christos (author), Kos, Mitja (author), Čebron Lipovec, Nanča (author)

Objective: In 2021, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) was confirmed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a rare side effect of the COVID-19 adenovirus vector vaccines Vaxzevria® and Jcovden®. This study aimed to describe the public’s knowledge of TTS and how it affected the willingness to be vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines in six European countries. Methods: From June to October of 2022, a multi-country cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, and Slovenia. The minimum target of participants to be recruited was based on the size of the country’s population. The results were analysed descriptively. Results: In total, 3794 respondents were included in the analysis; across the six countries, 33.3 %–68.3 % reported being familiar with signs and symptoms of TTS, although 3.1–61.4 % of those were able to identify the symptoms correctly. The reported changes in willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and with other vaccines varied per country. The largest reported change in the willingness to be vaccinated with Vaxzevria® and Jcovden® was observed in Denmark (61.2 %), while the willingness to be vaccinated with other COVID-19 vaccines changed most in Slovenia (30.4 %). The smallest decrease in willingness towards future vaccination against COVID-19 was reported in the Netherlands (20.9 %) contrasting with the largest decrease observed in Latvia (69.1 %). Conclusion: Knowledge about TTS seemed to have influenced the public’s opinion in Europe resulting in less willingness to be vaccinated with Vaxzevria® and Jcovden®. Willingness for vaccination against COVID-19 with other vaccines and widespread use of vaccines to prevent other diseases also differed and seemed to be determined by the approaches taken by national health authorities when reacting to and communicating about COVID-19 vaccination risks. Further investigation of optimal risk communication strategies is warranted.

• Language: English
• Keywords: public perception, COVID-19 vaccines, thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (TTS), SARS-CoV-2 adenovirus vector vaccines, national health policies, risk awareness
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 556-563
• Numbering: Vol. 42, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-159520
• UDC: 614:616.98:578.834
• ISSN on article: 0264-410X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.12.065
• COBISS.SI-ID: 179573763
• Publication date in RUL: 11.07.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Vaccine
• Shortened title: Vaccine
• Publisher: Butterworth Scientific
• ISSN: 0264-410X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 26585600

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: javno dojemanje cepiva proti COVID-19, tromboza s sindromom trombocitopenije (TTS), vektor adenovirusa SARS-CoV-2, nacionalna zdravstvena politika, zavedanje o tveganju, SARS-CoV-2, cepiva, COVID-19, javno zdravstvo

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: European Medicines Agency
• Project number: EMA/2018/23/PE