COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake and Hesitancy Among Current Tobacco Users

Abstract

Novel mRNA vaccines have been developed and were first distributed to high-risk individuals (including smokers) in the United States starting in December 2020 to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Over one-half of the U.S. adult population has received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but many others have reported hesitation about becoming vaccinated. We examined COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy from a convenience sample of Pennsylvanian adult smokers in April 2021, approximately 3 months after tobacco users were eligible to receive vaccination in the state. Participants (n = 231) were 23.4% male, 90.5% white, and had a mean age of 48.1 (SD = 11.9) years. All participants were current tobacco users, with the majority reporting current cigarette smoking (90.9%) with an average of 16 (SD = 8.1) cigarettes smoked per day. Nearly 60% (n = 137) reported receiving at least 1 dose of the vaccine and of those who did not (n = 94), 84% (n = 79) said they were somewhat or very unlikely to get a vaccine. Those who were unvaccinated were more likely to not consume news about COVID-19 (chi-square P-value < .01) and less likely to believe government news sources as reliable information for COVID-19 (chi-square P-value < .01). Qualitative responses among those who were vaccine hesitant expressed concerns about the lack of research on the vaccine, distrust of the safety of the vaccine, and fears about side effects. Understanding vaccine hesitancy among tobacco users can help develop targeted communication strategies and directly address concerns to promote vaccination among this population who may be at an increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19.

Attitude and level of COVID-19 vaccination and its determinants among patients with chronic disease visiting Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

“…This finding was significantly higher than the result reported from Addis Ababa (14.5%) [25]. However, it was lower than the study findings in China (84.22%) [26], France (69%) [27], Ontario, Canada (81.6%) [28], US (57%) [29], Harar region, Ethiopia (39.4%) [30], and Pennsylvania (59.3%) [31]. This discrepancy could be attributed to the study subjects being the general public, differences in awareness among the population groups, and easier access to information.…”

“…disease (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), and 41-50) compared to older patients with chronic disease (50 and above years). This is consistent with a study conducted in Addis Ababa [25].…”

Associations of Combustible Cigarette, Electronic Cigarette, and Dual Use With COVID Infection and Severity in the U.S.: A Cross-sectional Analysis of the 2021 National Health Information Survey

“… 48 In unvaccinated patients, the Delta variant potentially causes more severe sickness than previous variants. 49 , 50 This is of concern because vaccine hesitancy is common among current tobacco users, 51 and the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy has been shown to be significantly higher among young adults who were current smokers (including ENDS), when compared to non-current smokers (36% vs 22%). 52 Further, the Omicron variant was reported in the U.S. in November 2021, and the rate of infection was estimated to be 100 times greater than the previous Delta variant.…”

Evolution of the Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Unvaccinated Patients Affected by Critical COVID-19 Pneumonia from the Pre-Vaccination to the Post-Vaccination Waves in Italy

“…Since December 2020, when the first variant of concern, known as Alpha (B.1.1.7), was identified, other variants have been recognized [ 2 ]. The latest two, Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529), seem to be more transmissible than the earlier; Delta has been associated with decreased levels of morbidity and mortality in Europe and the USA, but the impact of the new Omicron variant, designated by WHO on 26 November 2021, is under investigation [ 3 ].…”