Introduction: COVID-19 infection is a major risk in both the general population and COPD patients, so primary prevention, i.e. vaccination uptake, is a priority. Our aim was to examine the uptake rates of COVID-19 vaccination among Hungarian people and COPD patients and to compare the data.
Methods: Hungarian COVID-19 vaccination coverage data were obtained from a public database (COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker). We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional survey of COPD patients in Hungary by region: eastern, western and central ones in 2022.
Results: The COVID-19 vaccination coverage rate for first vaccination was 88.2%; second vaccination: 86.1%; third vaccination: 62.4% in the study COPD sample (n=1510), while the average COVID-19 vaccination coverage of the Hungarian population (n= 9 689 010) was 65.3% for the first dose, 63.2% for the second dose and 39.7% for the first booster (3rd dose). Comparing unvaccinated and vaccinated patients, we found significant differences in quality of life (CAT: 16 (11-21) vs. 14 (10-19); p<0.001,), exacerbation rates (1 (0-1) vs. 0 (0-1); p=0.049) and severity of dyspnoea (mMRC: 2 (2-2) vs. 2 (1-2); p=0.010). There were significantly fewer outpatient hospital admissions for post-COVID syndrome among patients vaccinated three times: 0 vs. 14; p < 0.001.
Conclusion: The uptake of COVID-19 vaccines is very important for both the general population and COPD patients. Promoting vaccination and raising awareness of the importance of vaccine administration should be a priority for health workers.