COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Disorders: Feasibility and Acceptability

Introduction: Autistic individuals often have comorbid medical conditions, which can increase the likelihood of being severely affected by COVID-19. The best prevention for this is vaccination. However, some autistic individuals engage in behaviors that might create a barrier to successful vaccinati...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association 2024-05, Vol.30 (3), p.716-721
Main Authors: Pavlov, Alexis, Hodnett, Jennifer M., Booth, Chris, Wigton, Sarah, Bernstein, Alec, Lomas Mevers, Joanna, Scheithauer, Mindy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Autism Spectrum Disorder
COVID-19 - prevention & control
COVID-19 Vaccines - therapeutic use
Feasibility Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology
Quality Improvement Manuscript
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination - psychology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Introduction: Autistic individuals often have comorbid medical conditions, which can increase the likelihood of being severely affected by COVID-19. The best prevention for this is vaccination. However, some autistic individuals engage in behaviors that might create a barrier to successful vaccination. Aims: We describe the development and acceptability of a clinic specializing in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who exhibit challenging behavior. Method: The clinic utilized behavioral antecedent strategies and contingencies to increase compliance with the vaccine and decrease distress associated with the procedure. Results: We achieved a 100% success rate with vaccine administration and caregivers reported high satisfaction with the clinic. Conclusions: The present vaccine clinic is adaptable to various settings and patients and was well-received overall by caregivers. Replication in different geographic regions may be beneficial when resources allow for this type of clinic.
ISSN:1078-3903
1532-5725
DOI:10.1177/10783903231172997