Abstract
Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections (RI) in older adults, but RSV awareness remains low among older adults and their carers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. With the recent approval of RSV vaccines for older adults, insights into RSV-related knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and practices (KAP) could inform targeted disease prevention strategies and policies. This study assessed RSV-related KAP in older adults aged ≥50 years, their carers and physicians in APAC.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. Qualitative interviews were conducted to refine survey tools, followed by quantitative surveys to explore the KAP focused on general vaccines and RSV prevention.
Results: 3,472 older adults (including 1,642 who were high-risk), 700 carers (formal/informal) and 1,525 physicians (specialists/generalists) were enrolled between April–July 2024 (Table 1).
Among older adults, key general and RI vaccination drivers included vaccine safety (57.5–70.5% and 61.7–76.8%, respectively), preventing severe illness (57.3–71.3% and 56.4–73.4%) and preventing (re)infection (49.5–65.5% and 54.6–64.8%; Fig. 1A–B). Among carers, key general and RI vaccination drivers included doctor’s recommendation (46.2–49.8% and 51.0–52.5%, respectively), preventing severe illness (43.8–48.4% and 43.8–54.1%), vaccine safety (44.1–44.8% and 52.5–52.9%) and preventing (re)infection (42.9–45.9% and 43.3–47.1%; Fig. 1C–D).
In the year prior to the survey, substantial proportions of older adults (46.8–70.3%) and carers (37.6–38.4%) had no opportunities to discuss RI with a doctor, while physicians initiated RI vaccine conversations in 23.5–59.9% of older adults/carers (Fig. 2). More urgent/acute issues (56.7–64.7%) and time constraints (42.1–58.7%) discouraged physicians from discussing RI vaccines with older adults (Fig. 3).
Conclusion: This study identified vaccination drivers among older adults/carers (e.g., vaccine safety, efficacy). Limited opportunities for discussing RI vaccines with physicians were barriers to vaccination, highlighting unmet needs in prioritising vaccine conversations and preventive health, particularly for RSV.
Poster presentation.