Preferences and attitudes of healthcare providers towards pneumococcal vaccines for adults in the United States.

Abstract

Objectives: It is important to assess healthcare providers (HCPs) knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and preferences towards new pneumococcal vaccines for adults.

Methods: HCPs who met eligibility criteria completed an online survey between March - May 2024 that included a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit preferences.

Results: Among 340 participating HCPs, the average age was 44.9 years old, and the majority were male (55.6%), and White (85.3%). Most HCPs reported that they would support (90.3%) and implement (91.5%) a lower age-based recommendation for pneumococcal vaccines (from adults 65+ years to adults 50+ years). A majority of HCPs would offer a supplemental dose of a pneumococcal vaccine to high-risk adults 19-49 years, at-risk or high-risk adults 50-64 years, and adults 65+ years regardless of risk status to increase protection after completing the recommended series. DCE results showed that coverage of pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults 65+ years were the two most important attributes in evaluating pneumococcal vaccines.

Conclusions: HCPs preferred a pneumococcal vaccine with increased coverage against pneumococcal pneumonia and IPD, and they supported lowering the age recommendation for pneumococcal vaccination as well as a supplemental vaccine dose to provide additional coverage for adults.