Why Libyan patients on Biological therapies don't get Vaccinated ?

What is it about?

This cross-sectional study conducted at Benghazi Medical Centre in Libya assessed vaccination coverage and its predictors among 370 patients receiving biological therapy for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The study found critically low vaccination rates, with only 32.6% of patients having received recommended inactivated vaccines (influenza or pneumococcal) within the past five years. The strongest predictors of vaccine uptake were positive belief in vaccine safety and receiving a recommendation from a healthcare provider, while factors like educational level, type of biologic agent, and underlying disease showed no significant association. The authors conclude that the primary barriers are psychological and informational rather than demographic or clinical, and they urgently call for implementing provider-driven vaccination protocols—such as nurse-led programs within infusion units—to protect this vulnerable, immunosuppressed population from preventable infections.

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Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is critically important because it exposes a life-threatening gap in preventive care for one of the most vulnerable patient populations—those on immunosuppressive biological therapy— by revealing that only 32.6% had received recommended vaccinations. More significantly, it identifies that the primary barriers are not demographic or clinical factors like education level or disease type, but rather psychological and informational obstacles: namely, the patient's belief in vaccine safety and, most crucially, receiving a recommendation from a healthcare provider. This finding provides a clear, actionable pathway for intervention: empowering clinicians to give strong, consistent vaccine recommendations and implementing systematic protocols (such as nurse-led vaccination in infusion units) can dramatically improve uptake. Conducted in Libya's primary referral center, the study offers vital, localized evidence for a region often underrepresented in global research, making it an essential foundation for shaping national health policy and transforming clinical practice to protect this high-risk population from preventable, severe infections.

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