TY - JOUR
T1 - Mpox vaccine hesitancy among Brazilian men who have sex with men
T2 - a national cross-sectional study
AU - Santos, Guilherme Reis de Santana
AU - Ribeiro, Caíque Jordan Nunes
AU - Santos Júnior, José Flávio Cerqueira dos
AU - Almeida, Valdemar Silva
AU - Nascimento, Rita de Cassia Dias
AU - Barreto, Nilo Manoel Pereira Vieira
AU - Sousa, Anderson Reis de
AU - Bezerra-Santos, Márcio
AU - Cepas, Lariane Angel
AU - Fernandes, Ana Paula Morais
AU - Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa
AU - Santos Júnior, Aires Garcia dos
AU - Maronesi, Maria Luisa Pereira
AU - Sousa, Álvaro Francisco Lopes de
N1 - Funding Information:
Coordena\u00E7\u00E3o de Aperfei\u00E7oamento de Pessoal de N\u00EDvel Superior (CAPES)\u2014Financial Code: 001.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/11
Y1 - 2024/11
N2 - Background: Mpox is a viral zoonosis that has gained increased attention due to a global outbreak in 2022, significantly impacting men who have sex with men (MSM). Vaccination for this disease poses a public health challenge; because it carries a strong stigma, there may be greater hesitancy in vulnerable groups. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with Mpox vaccine hesitancy among Brazilian MSM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2022 using an online survey targeted at MSM. Recruitment was carried out through social media and dating apps. The sample consisted of 1449 participants and the analysis involved bivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of Mpox vaccine hesitancy was 7.57%. The significant factors associated with hesitancy were primarily related to sexual practices and attitudes towards Mpox exposure and diagnosis, such as not using “glory holes” (aOR: 19.82; 95% CI: 1.60–245.69), reluctance to undergo pre- and post-exposure testing for Mpox (aOR: 9.54; 95% CI: 5.52–16.48), and not knowing close contacts diagnosed with Mpox (aOR: 4.09; 95% CI: 1.72–9.73). Participants who would not take precautions after diagnosis (aOR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.27–7.07) and those who would not disclose their serological status (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.13–3.30) also showed a higher likelihood of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion: Public health strategies should address these factors to expand knowledge about vaccination barriers, plan educational campaigns with targeted messaging for the MSM population, and provide inclusive healthcare environments to increase vaccine acceptance and reduce Mpox transmission in vulnerable groups.
AB - Background: Mpox is a viral zoonosis that has gained increased attention due to a global outbreak in 2022, significantly impacting men who have sex with men (MSM). Vaccination for this disease poses a public health challenge; because it carries a strong stigma, there may be greater hesitancy in vulnerable groups. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with Mpox vaccine hesitancy among Brazilian MSM. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2022 using an online survey targeted at MSM. Recruitment was carried out through social media and dating apps. The sample consisted of 1449 participants and the analysis involved bivariate logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of Mpox vaccine hesitancy was 7.57%. The significant factors associated with hesitancy were primarily related to sexual practices and attitudes towards Mpox exposure and diagnosis, such as not using “glory holes” (aOR: 19.82; 95% CI: 1.60–245.69), reluctance to undergo pre- and post-exposure testing for Mpox (aOR: 9.54; 95% CI: 5.52–16.48), and not knowing close contacts diagnosed with Mpox (aOR: 4.09; 95% CI: 1.72–9.73). Participants who would not take precautions after diagnosis (aOR: 3.00; 95% CI: 1.27–7.07) and those who would not disclose their serological status (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.13–3.30) also showed a higher likelihood of vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion: Public health strategies should address these factors to expand knowledge about vaccination barriers, plan educational campaigns with targeted messaging for the MSM population, and provide inclusive healthcare environments to increase vaccine acceptance and reduce Mpox transmission in vulnerable groups.
KW - discrimination
KW - hesitancy
KW - men who have sex with men
KW - mpox
KW - risk factors
KW - sexual behavior
KW - stigma
KW - vaccination acceptance
KW - vaccine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85210154244&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/vaccines12111229
DO - 10.3390/vaccines12111229
M3 - Article
C2 - 39591132
AN - SCOPUS:85210154244
SN - 2076-393X
VL - 12
JO - Vaccines
JF - Vaccines
IS - 11
M1 - 1229
ER -