COVID-19 vaccine uptake and attitudes in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes

Authors

Colleen A. Macke, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Samantha A. Carreon, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Kishan R. Desai, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Charles G. Minard, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Sarah K. Lyons, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Siripoom McKay, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Sridevi Devaraj, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Randi Streisand, Children's National Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
Tricia Tang, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Barbara J. Anderson, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
Marisa E. Hilliard, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address: mehillia@bcm.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

8-13-2025

Journal

Vaccine

Volume

61

DOI

10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127083

Keywords

COVID-19; Diabetes; Transition; Vaccine; Young adult

Abstract

PURPOSE: Adolescents and young adults have lower uptake of vaccines for preventable diseases than children and older adults. Young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at risk of complications from many vaccine-preventable illnesses. Given the elevated health risks of SARS-COV-2 infection for people with T1D, it is important to understand COVID-19 vaccination rates and attitudes. We explored vaccine uptake and characterized self-reported reasons for declining vaccination in a cohort of young adults with T1D as they were leaving pediatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Participants enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of a transition intervention for young adults with T1D reported COVID-19 vaccination at baseline (2/2021-6/2023). We report rates of COVID-19 vaccination in addition to demographic and medical characteristics. Participants who did not receive vaccination were asked to note the reason(s). From these qualitative responses we identified themes. RESULTS: Of the n = 97 participants reporting vaccination status, 70.1 % reported receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine. No demographic or medical characteristics were significantly associated with vaccination status (p ≥ 0.05). Themes of reasons for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccination included Doubt, Fear, External Factors, and Indifference. DISCUSSION: In young adults with T1D, COVID-19 vaccine uptake is below public health targets. Addressing fears about vaccine-related effects on T1D, doubts surrounding vaccine development and efficacy, and other external factors influencing vaccination decisions may be helpful in initiating a dialogue between clinicians and young adults considering vaccination. Further investigation into attitudes about other preventative care measures in this vulnerable population is needed. Clinical trial registry site and number: ClinicalTrials.gov ID Number - NCT04247620.

APA Citation

Macke, Colleen A.; Carreon, Samantha A.; Desai, Kishan R.; Minard, Charles G.; Lyons, Sarah K.; McKay, Siripoom; Devaraj, Sridevi; Streisand, Randi; Tang, Tricia; Anderson, Barbara J.; and Hilliard, Marisa E., "COVID-19 vaccine uptake and attitudes in emerging adults with type 1 diabetes" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 7773.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/7773

Department

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences