Patients’ high acceptability of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine in France: a French paradox?

Svetlane Dimi (1) , David Zucman (1) , Olivier Chassany (2, 3) , Christophe Lalanne (2) , Thierry Prazuck (4) , Emmanuel Mortier (5) , Catherine Majerholc (1) , Isabelle Aubin-Auger (2) , Pierre Verger (6, 7) , Martin Duracinsky (2, 3, 8)

1 Hôpital Foch [Suresnes]
2 REMES - Recherche Clinique ville-hôpital, Méthodologies et Société
3 Groupe Hospitalier Saint Louis - Lariboisière - Fernand Widal [Paris]
4 Service des maladies infectieuses [CHR Orléans]
5 LOUIS MOURIER - Med Int - Service de Médecine Interne
6 VITROME - Vecteurs - Infections tropicales et méditerranéennes
7 SESSTIM - U1252 INSERM - Aix Marseille Univ - UMR 259 IRD - Sciences Economiques et Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l'Information Médicale
8 Médecine interne-Immunologie clinique [Kremlin-Bicêtre]

Background France is the European country with the lowest level of confidence in vaccines. Measurement of patients’ acceptability towards a future therapeutic HIV vaccine is critically important. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate patients’ acceptability of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine in a representative cohort of French patients living with HIV-AIDS (PLWHs). Methods This multicentre study used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess PLWHs’ opinions and their potential acceptance of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine. Cross-sectional study on 220 HIV-1 infected outpatients, aged 18–75 years. Results The participants’ characteristics were similar to those of the overall French PLWH population. Responses from the questionnaires showed high indices of acceptance: the mean score for acceptability on the Visual Analog Scale VAS was 8.4 of 10, and 92% of patients agreed to be vaccinated if a therapeutic vaccine became available. Acceptability depended on the expected characteristics of the vaccine, notably the duration of its effectiveness: 44% of participants expected it to be effective for life. This acceptance was not associated with socio-demographic, clinical (mode of contamination, duration of disease), quality of life, or illness-perception parameters. Acceptability was also strongly correlated with confidence in the treating physician. Conclusion The PLWHs within our cohort had high indices of acceptance to a future therapeutic HIV vaccine.

Keywords: HIV; Therapeutic vaccine; Acceptability; Acceptance; Confidence

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Bacteriology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Virology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Parasitology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Cardiology and cardiovascular system; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Emerging diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases

Svetlane Dimi, David Zucman, Olivier Chassany, Christophe Lalanne, Thierry Prazuck, et al.. Patients’ high acceptability of a future therapeutic HIV vaccine in France: a French paradox?. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2019, 19 (1), ⟨10.1186/s12879-019-4056-6⟩. ⟨hal-02263740⟩