COVID-19 Vaccination Motivation and Hesitancy in Heart Transplant Recipients During a Global Health Crisis

PURPOSE: Heart transplant (HT) recipients are at increased risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and infection related complications, which can lead to long term morbidity and mortality due to their immunosuppressed status. COVID-19 vaccination is strongly recommended for transplant recipients. However, the motivating and limiting factors to vaccination in HT recipients remain unknown. METHODS: A 26 question survey was mailed to all adult HT recipients at our center to assess the number of patients who received a COVID-19 vaccine as well as motivating and limiting factors to vaccination. Surveys with 3 or more incomplete answers were excluded. RESULTS: Ninety (36.1%) of 249 HT recipients returned the survey, with 5 surveys excluded and 85 evaluated. Selected responses are reported in the table. Of assessed surveys, 82 (96.5%) patients received a COVID-19 vaccine with primary motivating factor to protect their own health (86.9%). A majority of respondents were very (45.9%) or moderately concerned (23.5%) about getting COVID-19 infection. While most patients (57.7%) reported no concern about getting the vaccine, 23 respondents listed a vaccine-related concern. A high percentage (67.9%) of patients reported obtaining certain information about the vaccine which they could not determine to be true or false. The most trusted source for vaccine information was a transplant provider (80%). Of 3 non-vaccinated respondents, none listed a specific concern related to the vaccine; 2 of the 3 (66.7%) had previously confirmed COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSION: A high percentage of responding HT recipients received a COVID-19 vaccine. Patients were primarily motivated to protect their own health and reported low concern about receiving a vaccine. Transplant providers were a highly trusted source of information, suggesting an important role for the transplant team in encouraging vaccination.