Study from Inspire reveals COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among individuals with cancer, autoimmune diseases and other serious comorbidities

ARLINGTON, Va., April 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly one in five individuals with serious comorbid conditions harbor COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, according to new research from Inspire, posted on medRxiv.  

The online survey of nearly 22,000 respondents was conducted in January and February 2021 through the Inspire.com HealthJourney COVID-19 research platform.

This unique population of respondents bears a heavy burden of comorbid conditions:  27% have cancer, 23% autoimmune diseases, and 38% chronic lung diseases, all conditions that increase risk of COVID-19 mortality.

Of the 3,960 respondents who indicated COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, apprehensions regarding safety of vaccines dominated.

• 53% indicated a concern that the vaccine is too new
• 44% worried about vaccine side effects or discomfort
• 8% were concerned about contracting coronavirus from the vaccine.

Issues regarding vaccine development were also common:

• 39% citing the role of politics in  vaccine development
• 9% not trusting the government had insured vaccine safety and efficacy
• 5% not believing that the vaccine was developed responsibly.

Yet, early safety experiences among the more than 5000 participants who have already been vaccinated should be reassuring, said Stuart Goldberg, MD, an Inspire medical advisory board member. "Cancer patients and individuals with immunodeficiencies were largely excluded from vaccine development," Goldberg said, "yet our study demonstrates safety in these high risk populations."

Lead author Richard Tsai, Senior VP of Marketing, Inspire, said, "It's incredible to see so much enthusiasm from our community to share their experiences about COVID-19. This information can be extremely valuable to many with comorbid conditions and medical researchers. I feel honored to be part of Inspire's mission to accelerate life-changing discoveries through our vital community of connected patients."

To further this goal, Inspire has built an interactive dashboard, open to the public, that allows exploration of  the COVID-19 survey at https://www.inspire.com/living/coronavirus-vaccine-effects/. Additional longitudinal data, including COVID-long haul symptoms, will be added to this dashboard, Tsai said.

About Inspire
Inspire is the vital partner to life science companies, offering a unique resource for data and insights into patients' rich and varied health journeys. Insights from Inspire's community of over two million members offer deep understanding of myriad conditions and their impact on patients. Visit us at inspire.com or corp.inspire.com.

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SOURCE Inspire