COVID-19 vaccination uptake in people with epilepsy in Wales

Strafford, H., Lacey, A.S., Hollinghurst, J., Akbari, A., Watkins, A., Paterson, J., Jennings, D., Lyons, R.A., Powell, H.R., Kerr, M.P., Chin, R.W. and Pickrell, W.O. 2023. COVID-19 vaccination uptake in people with epilepsy in Wales. Seizure - European Journal of Epilepsy 108 , pp. 49-52. 10.1016/j.seizure.2023.04.006

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Abstract

Purpose People with epilepsy (PWE) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. Assessing COVID-19 vaccine uptake is therefore important. We compared COVID-19 vaccination uptake for PWE in Wales with a matched control cohort. Methods We performed a retrospective, population, cohort study using linked, anonymised, Welsh electronic health records within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank (Welsh population=3.1 million).We identified PWE in Wales between 1st March 2020 and 31st December 2021 and created a control cohort using exact 5:1 matching (sex, age and socioeconomic status). We recorded 1st, 2nd and booster COVID-19 vaccinations. Results There were 25,404 adults with epilepsy (127,020 controls). 23,454 (92.3%) had a first vaccination, 22,826 (89.9%) a second, and 17,797 (70.1%) a booster. Comparative figures for controls were: 112,334 (87.8%), 109,057 (85.2%) and 79,980 (62.4%).PWE had higher vaccination rates in all age, sex and socioeconomic subgroups apart from booster uptake in older subgroups. Vaccination rates were higher in older subgroups, women and less deprived areas for both cohorts. People with intellectual disability and epilepsy had higher vaccination rates when compared with controls with intellectual disability. Conclusions COVID-19 vaccination uptake for PWE in Wales was higher than that for a matched control group.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Medicine
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	1059-1311
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 May 2023
Date of Acceptance:	5 April 2023
Last Modified:	12 May 2023 13:47
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/159397

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