Nearly half of people who regularly injected themselves with illicit drugs were also hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Australian scientists have found.
Research published in the Drug and Alcohol Review journal found 48 percent of participants who injected drugs were also vaccine-hesitant - 22 percent of whom said they "definitely" wouldn't get vaccinated against COVID.
Concerns about vaccine safety and perceiving themselves as a low-risk of getting seriously ill with COVID were among the most common reasons for not getting immunised.
Types of vaccines used in Australia include Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca - all of which are proven safe and effective and have been approved by regulatory bodies all over the world.
The study was conducted by researchers from multiple Australian universities and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre - who are urging the implementation of targeted intervention to increase immunisation uptake among those injecting drugs.
They noted free vaccination doesn't mean equitable vaccine uptake and coverage is a certainty.
"Peer-based organisations are already well-engaged with this population but require dedicated funding to facilitate uptake and address concerns and misinformation about vaccination," the study says.
"Recent emergence of the Omicron variant and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommendation for a third 'booster' vaccine dose are timely reminders that prevention of COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality requires an ongoing effort."
The scientists said their research was carried out before the arrival of Omicron and during Australia's Delta outbreak last year and noted views on vaccination could have changed since then.
Data from Australia's health ministry shows 94.2 percent of citizens aged 16 and over have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 11 million Australians aged 16 and over have received a booster jab.
