IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pgph00/0001367.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Global report on COVID-19 vaccination and reasons not to vaccinate among adults with intellectual disabilities: Results from secondary analyses of Special Olympics’ program planning

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew E Lincoln
  • Alicia M Dixon-Ibarra
  • John P Hanley
  • Ashlyn L Smith
  • Kiki Martin
  • Alicia Bazzano

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with intellectual disabilities worldwide. The objective of this study was to identify global rates of COVID-19 vaccination and reasons not to vaccinate among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) associated with country economic income levels. The Special Olympics COVID-19 online survey was administered in January-February 2022 to adults with ID from 138 countries. Descriptive analyses of survey responses include 95% margins of error. Logistic regression and Pearson Chi-squared tests were calculated to assess associations with predictive variables for vaccination using R 4.1.2 software. Participants (n = 3560) represented 18 low (n = 410), 35 lower-middle (n = 1182), 41 upper-middle (n = 837), and 44 high (n = 1131) income countries. Globally, 76% (74.8–77.6%) received a COVID-19 vaccination while 49.5% (47.9–51.2%) received a COVID-19 booster. Upper-middle (93% (91.2–94.7%)) and high-income country (94% (92.1–95.0%)) participants had the highest rates of vaccination while low-income countries had the lowest rates (38% (33.3–42.7%)). In multivariate regression models, country economic income level (OR = 3.12, 95% CI [2.81, 3.48]), age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.03, 1.05]), and living with family (OR = 0.70, 95% CI [0.53, 0.92]) were associated with vaccination. Among LLMICs, the major reason for not vaccinating was lack of access (41.2% (29.5–52.9%)). Globally, concerns about side effects (42%, (36.5–48.1%)) and parent/guardian not wanting the adult with ID to vaccinate (32% (26.1–37.0%)) were the most common reasons for not vaccinating. Adults with ID from low and low-middle income countries reported fewer COVID-19 vaccinations, suggesting reduced access and availability of resources in these countries. Globally, COVID-19 vaccination levels among adults with ID were higher than the general population. Interventions should address the increased risk of infection for those in congregate living situations and family caregiver apprehension to vaccinate this high-risk population.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew E Lincoln & Alicia M Dixon-Ibarra & John P Hanley & Ashlyn L Smith & Kiki Martin & Alicia Bazzano, 2023. "Global report on COVID-19 vaccination and reasons not to vaccinate among adults with intellectual disabilities: Results from secondary analyses of Special Olympics’ program planning," PLOS Global Public Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(6), pages 1-12, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pgph00:0001367
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001367
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001367
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001367&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001367?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Magali Valero & Jorge Noel Valero-Gil, 2021. "Determinants of the number of deaths from COVID-19: differences between low-income and high-income countries in the initial stages of the pandemic," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 48(9), pages 1229-1244, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Todd A Watkins & Khue Nguyen & Hamza Ali & Rishikesh Gummakonda & Jacques Pelman & Brianna Taracena, 2023. "The impact of access to financial services on mitigating COVID-19 mortality globally," PLOS Global Public Health, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(3), pages 1-18, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pgph00:0001367. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: globalpubhealth (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.