Vaccine development and stakeholder feedback process. Credit: Vaccine (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.049
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 100,000 people in the United States will die from an opioid overdose in 2022. About three-quarters of these deaths involved fentanyl, a very powerful synthetic opioid.
Fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed over the past decade, with many occurring in people who had no history of using opioids but had used other drugs laced with tiny amounts of fentanyl.
Since 2019, Boston Children’s Hospital’s Precision Vaccines Program has received approximately $20 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop a new and unusual approach: the fentanyl vaccine. The vaccine, which is still in preclinical development, would protect people from fatal overdoses by blocking fentanyl from entering the brain.
But is the world ready for a fentanyl vaccine? Will people accept it? Who should receive it? Elissa Weitzman, Ph.D., M.A., director of research at the Boston Division of Pediatric Addiction Medicine, led a study to explore these questions. Participants expressed a variety of opinions that were summarized in a recent report published in the journal Vaccines.
mixed opinions
The research team conducted in-depth interviews of 60 to 90 minutes with 74 volunteers. Interviewees included adolescents and young adults diagnosed with opioid use disorder (from the Boston Children’s ASAP Program), their families, substance use treatment professionals, clinicians, scientists, and the general public. Ta.
Many study participants, including adolescents at risk of overdose, were enthusiastic about the potential of a fentanyl vaccine.
“Parents who lost a child to an overdose were especially passionate and said, ‘Every kid should get this,’ or ‘Every kid who goes to college should get this.’ ” says Weitzman.
But some had questions and concerns that suggested how seriously they were taking the idea of a fentanyl vaccine.
Will vaccine protection weaken over time, lulling people into a false sense of security? If needed for pain relief after surgery, are opioids effective? Do vaccines block the parts of the brain that feel pleasure? Do they interact with drugs like methadone and buprenorphine? Enter the brain Is it possible that blocked fentanyl accumulates in other tissues?
“I was surprised and impressed by the sophistication of the concerns,” Weitzman said. “Those are essential and valuable questions.”
Different perceptions of addiction and vaccines
Attitudes varied depending on people’s beliefs about addiction. Some participants took a “let’s save lives” approach. Some believe that addiction is a character flaw or moral problem that is better addressed through behavioral or psychological interventions to promote abstinence. Some felt that the fentanyl vaccine would condone substance use.
Participants also expressed a variety of opinions about vaccines in general. The study period coincided with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which had many concerned about the rapid rollout of new mRNA vaccines. Add to that the unusual concept of a fentanyl vaccine.
“Vaccines were primarily about infectious diseases,” Weitzman said. “Cognitively, the idea of a vaccine targeting behavioral health disorders is like, ‘Huh? You need to maintain your sexuality.”
Inform about the possibility of vaccine release
The results gave Weitzman and the Precision Vaccines team a lot to think about. If a fentanyl vaccine is approved and rolled out, this information will guide communication and education strategies.
Because the study was small and non-quantitative, Professor Weitzman suggested that more young people be included, including more young people without opioid use disorder and more people from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. We are expanding our research. Ultimately, we would like to obtain population-level data.
“Feedback is critical as we consider how to introduce fentanyl vaccines to a broader community with different perspectives,” she says. “One size doesn’t fit all.”
Meanwhile, solutions to the fentanyl overdose epidemic are desperately needed. More than 40% of Americans know someone who has died from an overdose. And since 2017, the number of fentanyl-containing pills seized by U.S. law enforcement has increased dramatically.
“And that’s just what was confiscated,” Weitzman says. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
Further information: Elissa R Weitzman et al., The need for strategic communication and stakeholder engagement to increase the acceptability of overdose prevention vaccines targeting fentanyl, Vaccines (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.049
Provided by Boston Children’s Hospital
Quote: Will people accept the fentanyl vaccine? Thoughtful responses in interview (September 27, 2024) https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-people-fentanyl-vaccine-thoughtful-responses Retrieved September 27, 2024 from .html
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