COVID-19 vaccine uptake among young adults – influence of asthma and sociodemographic factors

Background Asthma was initially described as a risk factor for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among young adults with asthma is not well-studied. Objective The aims were to assess COVID-19 vaccine uptake among young adults in general and to explore potential determinants including sociodemographic factors and asthma. Methods Participants from the population-based birth cohort BAMSE (Swedish abbreviation for Children, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiology) were included: 4,064 in the study population, 3,064 in a follow-up at age 24 years, and 2,049 in a COVID-19 follow-up (mean age 26.5 years). Asthma and asthma-associated characteristics were assessed through questionnaires and clinical data. Data on all COVID-19 vaccines registered between January 1, 2021, and February 15, 2023, were extracted from the National Vaccination Register. Results In the study population (n=4,064), 53.9% had ≥3 COVID-19 vaccine doses registered. In the 24-year follow-up population (n=3,064), vaccine uptake differed in relation to education (P<.001). Among the participants with university/college education, 65.7% had an uptake of ≥3 doses vaccine, compared to 54.1% among the participants with elementary school/high school education. Participants with asthma had decreased odds of receiving ≥3 doses (ORadj=0.62, 95% CI 0.41–0.92) and ≥2 compared with peers without asthma. Those with uncontrolled disease also had decreased odds of receiving ≥3 doses (ORadj=0.30, 95% CI 0.13–0.66) and ≥2 compared with participants with controlled asthma. Conclusions COVID-19 vaccine uptake among young adults is lower in individuals from households with lower socioeconomic status and among those with asthma, including uncontrolled asthma.