COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in patients with heart disease

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19-infected people with preexisting comorbidities show high mortality. Vaccine hesitancy among this high-risk group was assessed through this study. We aimed to determine the proportion of patients with heart disease showing hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccination and to identify the factors contributing to hesitancy. Subjects and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including patients older than 18 years with any form of heart disease. Patients who had severe disease while at rest were excluded from the study. Patients attending the cardiology outpatient department were recruited if they met the inclusion criteria. Consenting patients were interviewed with a standard questionnaire. The proportion of hesitant patients was calculated. The importance of each of the causes contributing to hesitancy and methods used to overcome hesitancy were expressed as percentages. Results: The proportion of patients who were hesitant to vaccination was 69.1%. The main reason for hesitancy was “fear of danger in patients with heart disease when vaccinated.” Conclusions: COVID vaccine hesitancy is high in patients with heart disease. Targeting vaccine-hesitant groups with measures that are considered effective by the concerned population can help overcome vaccine hesitancy.