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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among People Living with HIV: Review and Meta-Analysis

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Abstract

This study aims to estimate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among people living with HIV (PLWHA). A search for observational studies was conducted in five databases and preprinted literature. Summary estimates were pooled using a random effects model and meta-regression. Of 150 identified studies, 31 were eligible (18,550 PLWHA). The weighted prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy overall was 29.07% among PLWHA (95%CI = 24.33–34.32; I² = 98%,) and that of vaccine acceptance was 68.66% (95%CI = 62.25–74.43; I² = 98%). Higher hesitancy prevalence was identified in low/lower-middle income countries (35.05; 95% CI = 19.38–54.78). The heterogeneity was explained by the risk of bias, region, and year of data collection. The findings conclude that the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rate remains high, especially in low-income countries. Evidence-informed interventions aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance at the national and individual levels ought to be designed to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among PLWHA.

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Abbreviations

COVID-19:

Coronavirus Disease 2019

JBI:

Joana Bricks Institute

I2 :

I-squared

LMIC:

Low and Middle Income Countries

MOOSE:

Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology

PLWHA:

Persons Living With HIV

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Funding

ESP is funded by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 213589/Z/18/Z), however, the funder of this study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or the writing of the report.

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MP conceptualized the study and led the review, development of the search strategy, data screening, data quality assessment extraction and analyse, drafted the manuscript; CTC analysed and interpreted the data. TAO and MSC applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The manuscript was reviewed for clinical content by IRSA, CTC, TAO, MSC, LM, ID, FB, MN, SCYA, EP and MLTS. The authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Marcos Pereira.

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Pereira, M., Santos Aleluia, I.R., de Castro, C.T. et al. COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among People Living with HIV: Review and Meta-Analysis. AIDS Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-024-04351-w

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