Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake in Individuals with Functional Difficulty, Disability, and Comorbid Conditions: Insights from a National Survey in Bangladesh

Shimlin Jahan Khanam, Assistant Professor
Md. Shohel Rana, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B)
Md. Nuruzzaman Khan, Associate Professor
Md. Mofijul Islam, Senior Lecturer

COVID-19 vaccine coverage among individuals with disabilities is crucial for safeguarding their health and well-being. This study aims to explore the COVID-19 vaccine coverage among persons with functional difficulty, disability, and/or morbidity in Bangladesh. Data from 9,370 respondents extracted from the 2021 National Household Survey on Persons with Disability (NSPD) were analysed. The outcome variable was the receipt of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (yes, no). The relationship between the outcome and explanatory variables was determined using multilevel logistic regressions adjusted for covariates. The overall acceptance rate for at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among persons with functional difficulty was 57.37%, among persons with functional difficulty and disability was 48.63%, and among persons with functional difficulty and single (57.85%) or multi-morbidity (60.37%). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of acceptance of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals with both functional difficulty and disability was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.65-0.82) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.70-0.87) for individuals with functional difficulty, disability, and one or more comorbid conditions. In Bangladesh, the existing COVID-19 vaccine rollout programs and similar future programs should prioritise individuals with disabilities and include targeted strategies to reach them.

Keywords: Health and Morbidity, Population, Shocks and Pandemics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, The Demography of Indigenous Populations

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