Covid-19 pandemic: an opportunity to seize to increase awareness and vaccine coverage in at-risk populations

International audienceWe aimed to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the risk perception and attitudes concerning influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in an at-risk population. We performed an online survey between July 29th and October 12th 2020 in patients at risk of severe influenza and/or pneumococcal disease recruited from Ipsos internal panel or through AVNIR (Associations VacciNation Immunodéprimées Réalité), a group of patient associations. Among the 2177 respondents, 1350 were female (62%), median age was 58 years (IQR 47-69), 62% were immunocompromised. In total, 86% of respondents declared being favorable to vaccination in general and felt at high-risk of more severe forms of Covid-19 (81%), pneumococcal disease (76%) and influenza (74%). More than half (52%, 388/746) of patients were eager to be vaccinated annually against influenza for the next 2020/2021 season and pneumococcal disease in the future: 62% (376/606). In this sample of patients at-risk of severe forms of influenza, pneumococcal diseases and Covid-19, the self-perception of risk for these three diseases and positive opinion on vaccination in general were high. It is very likely that the pandemic will lead to an increase in influenza and pneumococcal vaccine coverage in this at-risk population