Attitudes of Bulgarian Patients with Epilepsy to COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the COVID-19 vaccination willingness and the factors associated with vaccination hesitancy in Bulgarian patients with epilepsy. Methods: We included 103 (53 women and 50 men) Bulgarian patients with epilepsy. They completed a validated questionnaire about socio-demographic and epilepsy-related characteristics, history of COVID-19 disease and COVID-19 vaccination, attitudes towards vaccines, and sources of information about COVID-19 disease and vaccination. Results: One-third of the participants were vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccination was associated with higher seizure severity p<.0015 (☓ 2 =5.95) and consultations with medical staff about vaccines p<.05 (☓ 2 =7.58). All of the vaccinated participants confirmed that vaccines were useful for most people without causing long-term adverse events or complications (p<.001, ☓ 2 =44.29), that vaccination was the only way to gain immunity apart from acquiring the disease itself (p<.001, ☓ 2 =23.97) and that vaccination was also useful in healthy people with no existing disease (p<.001, ☓ 2 =83.29). Conclusion: The results from our study suggest the need of a more active and directed to patients with epilepsy approach with provision of reliable information to the medical staff and general population.