Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases are rising in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. People living with HIV (PLWH) in Kazakhstan are at heightened risk of severe COVID-19. We conducted a study to evaluate determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Kazakhstan. Methods In this cro...

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Main Authors: Gaukhar Mergenova MD, PhD, Alissa Davis PhD, Susan L Rosenthal PhD, Assel Terlikbayeva MD, Sholpan Primbetova MSSW, MPharm, Meruyert Darisheva PhD, Assel Bukharbayeva MSc, Alfiya Y Denebayeva MD, Jack DeHovitz MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2025-04-01
Series:Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23259582251328861
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Summary:Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases are rising in Central Asia and Kazakhstan. People living with HIV (PLWH) in Kazakhstan are at heightened risk of severe COVID-19. We conducted a study to evaluate determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Kazakhstan. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 196 PLWH were recruited from the Almaty City AIDS Center (July 2022-January 2023). We used logistic regression to evaluate how multilevel factors are associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among PLWH in Kazakhstan. Results COVID-19 vaccine non-uptake was associated with higher HIV stigma scores (AOR = 1.08, 95%CI:1.02,1.16, P = 0.017), a lower level of education (AOR = 2.53, 95%CI: 1.04,6.17, P = 0.0412), and never receiving the flu vaccine (AOR = 15.64, 95%CI:3.66,66.89, P = 0.0002). Participants with at least mild anxiety symptoms (AOR = 0.15, 95%CI:0.03,0.64, P = 0.0107) and a positive attitude towards vaccination (AOR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.73,0.86, P < 0.0001) were less likely to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19. Conclusions COVID-19 vaccination campaigns should be tailored for PLWH and incorporate stigma reduction interventions within healthcare settings.
ISSN:2325-9582