Addressing vaccine-preventable encephalitis in vulnerable populations

Is there still hesitancy towards SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among people with neurological disease- a survey of the NeuroCOVID-19 task force of the European Academy of Neurology

BACKGROUND

An online 3-item survey was sent to the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) community and inquired about the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination skepticism and the underlying thoughts and factors restricting vaccine use among patients with neurological conditions.

RESULTS

We obtained 616 responses from 84 countries, predominantly from Europe. In the view of the treating neurologist, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), neuroimmunological disorders (ND), and chronic neurological infections continued to have high levels of skepticism toward SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Patients with MS/ND were quoted as the most hesitant group, with 60% of the respondents sharing this impression. The patient group perceived as most confident towards immunization against COVID-19 and with the lowest level of distrust towards the vaccine were those with sleep disorders. For all other conditions, perceived distrust ranged between 42 and 52%. Fear of adverse events of vaccination or disease reactivation was perceived by 87% of patients with MS/ND and more than 70% of patients with stroke/vascular neurology, neuromuscular disorders, chronic neurological infections, and peripheral neuropathy. Patients with sleep disorders (54%), autonomic disorders (46%), movement disorders (43%), and dementia (43%) were sensed as less fearful of vaccine-related adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Despite the large body of evidence proving the efficacy and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, patients with certain neurological disorders still have a surprisingly high percentage of distrust and fear of adverse events. Our observations emphasize the importance of continuous evidence-based information delivery and patient education by treating neurologists.