COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake, Infection Rates, and Seropositivity Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness in the United States.
Diane M Santa Maria, Nikhil Padhye, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner and 6 others
PMID 38809559WHAT IT FOUND
Among 265 homeless youth, 67.9% had COVID-19 antibodies and 41.9% were vaccinated, but only 12% reported symptoms and 80% never tested positive.
Nurses should use testing, not self-report, to find infection.
Key findings
01Of the participants, 67.9% tested positive for COVID-19 IgG antibodies, but only 12% reported symptoms and 80% said they had never tested positive or been diagnosed.
02Vaccination uptake was 41.9%, and unvaccinated participants were more likely to lack antibodies (OR 5.5, 95% CI 2.6, 12.9).
03Among 180 antibody-positive participants, 44.4% were classified as having antibodies from natural infection.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted during a pandemic, which affected community-based recruitment and implementation of study protocols. The outcome measures were newly developed and lacked psychometric data found with more mature measures. Data collection took place from March 30, 2021, to December 12, 2022, during rapid changes in vaccines and understanding. The antibody model had a 46% misclassification rate and confused vaccine-related antibodies with natural infection antibodies. Long-term effects were not assessed, and longitudinal studies are needed. Most participants were recruited from shelters and a drop-in center, and shelter vaccine requirements may have influenced uptake.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The article metadata indicates NIH extramural research support, but the text does not name a specific funder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 41.9% vaccination rate as evidence that vaccination prevented infection. The study did not follow participants to see who got infected, and 44.4% of antibody-positive participants were classified as having natural infection.