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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · International Journal of Epilepsy 2023; 09(01/02): 007-012
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1788264
Original Article

COVID-19 Vaccination Status among People with Epilepsy Attending a Tertiary Care Epilepsy Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mokmod S. Shyamsundar
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
,
Pradeep P. Nair
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
,
Rajeswari Aghoram 
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
,
Sam P. Mohan
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
,
Sarthak Sinha
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
,
Vaibhav Wadwekar
1   Department of Neurology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
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Abstract

Objective The vaccine is the greatest weapon in the battle against the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic. Even though COVID-19 vaccines are considered safe in people with epilepsy (PWE), a sizable proportion of PWE are concerned about the safety of vaccines such as precipitation of seizures. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of COVID-19 vaccine administration, factors affecting the vaccine hesitancy, and side effects of vaccine among PWE.

Methods In this cross-sectional analytical study between December 2021 and August 2022, we included PWE > 15 years attending the epilepsy clinic irrespective of gender. We recorded the demographic and clinical details, COVID-19 vaccination status, and vaccine hesitancy. Those who had received two doses were considered as fully vaccinated.

Results We recruited 226 participants with a median age of 31.5 (15) years. Ninety-six (42.5%) PWE were women and 153 (67.7%) were of rural domicile. Only 96 (42%) had received two or more doses of any COVID-19 vaccine. After vaccination, 45 (30.8%) PWE complained of at least one general side effects and five PWE experienced seizures. Fear of precipitating the seizures was the most common reason for hesitancy in 39 (49%), whereas 26 (33%) PWE were deferred by health care workers. None of the factors such as age (p = 0.366), age of onset of seizures, gender (p = 0.167), domicile (p = 0.090), educational status (p = 0.619), and seizure characteristics (p = 0.675) were associated with vaccination status.

Conclusion Only 96 (42%) PWE were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and fear of worsening of the seizure frequency was the most common reason for the vaccine hesitancy. Vaccination was associated with seizures in five PWE. A multicentric population-based study may give better information.

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccination status - vaccination hesitancy - epilepsy and COVID vaccines - PWE


Publication History

Article published online:
06 August 2024

© 2024. Indian Epilepsy Society. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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