Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in a medium secure psychiatric hospital population. Issue 4 (1st June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gibbon, Simon; McPhail, Emma; Mills, Georgina; McBride, Martin; Storer, Rebekah; Taylor, Nicholas; McCarthy, Lucy
• Is Part Of: BJPsych open. Volume 7:Issue 4(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06-01
• Subjects: Consent and capacity, -- forensic mental health services, -- epidemiology, -- comorbidity, -- in-patient treatment; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental health -- Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2021.924
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2056-4724

Abstract

Summary: Patients in medium secure hospitals may be at particularly increased risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and complications. We undertook a service evaluation involving all current in-patients within a single, English medium secure hospital to describe the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among this population. Data regarding capacity to consent to the vaccine, acceptance/refusal of this (and reasons for refusal) and demographics was retrospectively collected from the patients' clinical records and analysed. In total, 85 patients (92.4% of eligible patients) had capacity to decide if they wanted the COVID-19 vaccine. Of these 68 (80.0%) consented and 17 (20.0%) declined to consent. A similar proportion of patients aged under and over 40 years old consented to have the vaccine. Those from a Black Asian minority ethnic background were more likely to decline the vaccine than White British patients. The reasons for capacitous refusal appeared similar to those seen in the general population.