"Low COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among Patients with Severe Chronic Diseases"

National Health Insurance Claims and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
Integrated Analysis of National Vaccination DB

Professor Jeong Hee-jin, Department of Infectious Diseases, Korea University Guro Hospital (from the left), Professor Nam Eliel.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] It has been found that the COVID-19 vaccination rate among chronic disease patients vulnerable to severe infections is lower than that of the general population.

A research team led by Professor Jeong Hee-jin of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital (Professors Jeong Hee-jin and Nam Eliel) integrated the National Health Insurance claims database and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's national vaccination database to conduct a comparative analysis study on COVID-19 vaccination rates between healthy general adults and chronic disease patients, which was announced on the 17th.

The research team analyzed the cumulative number of vaccinated individuals aged 18 and older as of May 31 this year, and chronic disease patients aged 18 and older who visited outpatient clinics three or more times or were hospitalized at least once between March 2020 and February 2022, categorized by age group.

As a result, the COVID-19 vaccination rates of patients with hematologic cancers and systemic lupus erythematosus were 10-20% lower than the overall population statistics across all age groups. For patients with solid cancers (excluding thyroid cancer), liver cirrhosis, and chronic renal failure, vaccination rates were significantly lower in younger age groups. The primary vaccination rate for liver cirrhosis patients aged 18-39 was 79.2%, compared to 98.0% in the general population. Vaccination rates were lower among patients with severe diseases vulnerable to infection, such as malignant tumors, than among patients with mild conditions like hypertension.

The research team cited concerns about safety, incompatibility with diseases or treatments, and lack of information as reasons for the low vaccination rates among chronic disease patients. They particularly analyzed that reduced accessibility to vaccination centers due to worsened health conditions or prolonged hospitalization might be a cause, even for those willing to be vaccinated.

Professor Jeong Hee-jin stated, "Since chronic disease patients are a high-risk group for COVID-19, public health authorities and medical staff must strive to maximize their COVID-19 vaccination rates," and added, "Medical professionals directly treating chronic disease patients should provide accurate information and encourage COVID-19 vaccination to protect patients' safety."

Professor Nam Eliel said, "There is limited research on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in chronic disease patients," and emphasized, "Medical staff need to make efforts to increase vaccination rates among chronic disease patients who hesitate to get vaccinated."

Meanwhile, the results of this study were published online on November 9 in JKMS (Journal of Korean Medical Science), the international journal of the Korean Medical Association.