RESUMO
Mexico faced a significant burden from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic's onset in 2020, numerous studies have underscored the substantial risk of COVID-19 death among Indigenous individuals. This study aims to assess COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Indigenous language speakers in Mexico, focusing on understanding the barriers they face in obtaining access to vaccines. We used Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición Continua (ENSANUT) 2022, a nationally representative health survey in Mexico to analyze data on self-reported COVID-19 vaccine status, reasons for not getting vaccinated, and other relevant covariates. We employed logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for vaccine uptake and uptake barriers, all models were adjusted for potential confounders. Among 34,051 participants, 1793 individuals (5.23%) reported speaking an Indigenous language. Indigenous language speakers were found to have a lower vaccination rate (63%) compared to non-Indigenous language speakers (81%) (p <0.005). They were also 59% less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.27-0.62), even when adjusted for confounders. Among unvaccinated individuals, Indigenous language speakers were more likely to cite negative beliefs about the vaccine or fear as reasons for not being vaccinated (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.11-3.00) while being less likely to report access barriers (OR 0.62, CI 95% 0.42-0.91). This study highlights disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Indigenous language speakers in Mexico. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted, culturally appropriate public health interventions and the consideration of social and ethnic vulnerability in prioritizing vaccinations.
RESUMO
Despite widespread availability of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and recommendations for routine use, awareness and uptake of HPV vaccination are not universal. We assessed self-reported history of HPV vaccination in a sample of low-income men and women recruited from the community using respondent-driven sampling as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) survey in San Francisco. Of the 384 respondents, a minority (12.5%) reported they had received the HPV vaccine. In multivariate analysis, independent associations with HPV vaccination history were female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.73, 8.17]), younger age (AOR = 0.89 per year, 95% CI = [0.86, 0.92]), and education above high school (AOR = 2.84, 95% CI = [1.37, 5.90]). Missed opportunities for HPV vaccination were evident in 84.4% of respondents having visited a health care provider in the last year, including 40.1% tested for a sexually transmitted infection, and entry into higher education programs (33.4%).
