Background: We investigated coronavirus disease 2109 (COVID-19) vaccine uptake and determinants among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among PLHIV attending antiretroviral therapy clinics in FCT, Nigeria. We utilized an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire to collect data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Vaccine uptake was measured using the question 'Have you received a COVID-19 vaccine?' and was confirmed with a vaccination card by the interviewer. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, χ2 and binary logistic regressions in Stata version 18.0.
Results: Of the 252 study participants, 87 (34.5%) had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with uptake lower in females than males (30.5% vs 46.1%; p=0.022). Being >50 y of age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.870 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.049 to 7.858], p=0.040) was associated with higher vaccine uptake, while being virally unsuppressed (aOR 0.313 [95% CI 0.099 to 0.985], p=0.047) and not believing COVID-19 disease is real (aOR 0.324 [95% CI 0.147 to 0.717], p=0.005) were associated with lower odds of vaccine uptake.
Conclusions: Vaccination uptake was low among PLHIV in our study. It is critical to target vaccination campaigns to PLHIV, particularly females and younger people. Proper education about COVID-19 itself would contribute to vaccine uptake.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines; HIV; Nigeria; antiretroviral therapy; vaccine hesitancy; vaccine uptake.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.