Knowledge and Attitudes Concerning Herpes Zoster among People with COPD: An Interventional Survey Study.

Barbara P Yawn,Natalia Y Loskutova,Janice Cotton,Sergio Martinez,Debora D Merrill,Dennis Williams,Elisabeth Callen

doi:10.3390/vaccines10030420

Abstract

Herpes zoster (HZ) is common in older adults with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Effective prevention is available through vaccination, but HZ vaccine uptake remains incomplete. Using an online survey of people with self-reported COPD, ShiPPS assessed HZ risk awareness, HZ vaccine use and barriers, and the impact of an HZ educational video on vaccine intent. USA members of the COPD Foundation’s Patient-Powered Research Network aged >50 years were surveyed in fall 2020. The responses were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Of the 735 respondents (59.6% female, mean age 68.5 years), 192 (26.1%) reported previous HZ, of whom 49 (25.5%) reported increased COPD symptoms during HZ episodes. Most participants (94.0%) knew of HZ vaccines, but only 33.1% reported receiving the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices-preferred recombinant HZ vaccination. The recall of receiving HZ vaccine recommendations differed by the site attended: 68.8% primary care, 26.6% pulmonology offices. Most (74.7%) were unaware that COPD increases HZ risk. Among unvaccinated participants, interest in getting the HZ vaccine increased from 32.0% to 73.5% after watching the video. These results highlight the need for people with COPD to receive further HZ education, such as the five-minute video, and HZ vaccine recommendations from healthcare professionals.

Highlights

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralHerpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, a painful dermatomal vesicular rash, is caused by the reactivation of a latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection and is increasingly common as adults age, affecting almost one in three people in the United States (USA) during their lifetime [1–4]
Participants who reported in Part 1 of the survey that they were unaware of the increased risk of HZ in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or of the available HZ vaccines, or that they had not initiated the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)-preferred two-shot vaccine, were invited to watch a five-minute video
Survey invitations were sent to 5319 COPD PPRN members

Summary

Introduction

Herpes zoster (HZ), or shingles, a painful dermatomal vesicular rash, is caused by the reactivation of a latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection and is increasingly common as adults age, affecting almost one in three people in the United States (USA) during their lifetime [1–4]. A significant subgroup of people with shingles experience complications, including long-lasting neuropathic pain (postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)), eye complications (herpes zoster ophthalmicus), or recurrences [2,5,6]. The economic burden of HZ and its complications, including direct medical care costs as well as productivity losses, is estimated to be $2.4 billion annually in the USA [7–10]. The risk factors for shingles include the well-recognized causes of immunosuppression as well as several chronic illnesses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [6,11–16]. Little is known about the COPD-related burdens, such as dyspnea and exacerbations, that may occur with

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion