Cancer patients and internal medicine patients attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination in Poland

Abstract

Background. The initial approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marked a milestone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased public debate about the vaccine development process and vaccine side effects has activated the anti-vaccine community, which has begun to spread conspiracy theories about vaccine safety. Objectives.Our study is the first to investigate the awareness of Polish patients suffering from various chronic diseases, mainly cancer, about vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Materials and methods.An anonymous survey was made available from November 2020 to February 2021 to representatives of patient organizations through social media (Facebook) and to patients in the Chemotherapy Department of the Clinical Hospital in Poznań. The survey was completed by 836 patients. The majority of the survey respondents had cancer (77%, n = 644), and almost 1 / 5 of the respondents indicated hypertension (15.7%, n = 131) as well as depression and/or anxiety disorders (11. 1%, n = 93).Results. Less than half of the respondents (43.5%, n = 364) believed that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were safe (40.4%, n = 260, among cancer patients; 53.9%, n = 104, among patients with other medical conditions). More than half of the respondents (60.5%, n = 506) intended to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (58.8%, n = 378, among cancer patients; 66.3%, n = 128, among patients with other medical conditions). Fear of vaccine complications and lack of belief in vaccine effectiveness were prevalent among both cancer patients and patients with other medical conditions.Conclusions. The vast majority of cancer and medical patients wanted to be vaccinated against COVID-19. More than half of the respondents did not believe that the COVID-19 vaccine would be safe for them. Education of cancer and medical patients on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, as well as the use of additional protective measures against infection, is an extremely important element of prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determinants of the Hesitancy toward COVID-19 Vaccination in Eastern European Countries and the Relationship with Health and Vaccine Literacy: A Literature Review

“…Variables specific to Eastern Europe that predict the willingness to vaccinate have also been highlighted. Several studies explored the hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccination in Eastern European populations with comorbidities or pregnancy [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Experiences and perspectives of cancer stakeholders regarding COVID‐19 vaccination

“…All stakeholder groups reported barriers to COVID‐19 vaccination uptake in this population, supporting the previous research. Barriers included lack of confidence in science and vaccine efficacy, 16 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 fear of side effects, 16 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 30 belief that COVID‐19 is benign, 16 , 23 , 25 and concern about vaccine impact on treatment. 18 , 22 , 26 Notably, most hesitation related to the lack of information about vaccine efficacy and impacts within the cancer context, rather than general antivaccination sentiment.…”

“…International research has reported that while the majority of cancer patients intended to be vaccinated as soon as the COVID‐19 vaccine was available, there were still a proportion who were undecided or hesitant about vaccination. 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 The research indicates that cancer patients who are female, 20 , 21 , 23 , 27 , 29 , 30 younger in age, 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 27 , 30 less educated/health literate, 19 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 30 have worse health status, 20 , 22 and are non‐white 21 , 27 , 29 are more likely to be hesitant. Commonly reported barriers to vaccine uptake include lack of confidence in science and vaccine efficacy, 16 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 fear of side effects, 16 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , …”

“… 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 The research indicates that cancer patients who are female, 20 , 21 , 23 , 27 , 29 , 30 younger in age, 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 27 , 30 less educated/health literate, 19 , 23 , 24 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 30 have worse health status, 20 , 22 and are non‐white 21 , 27 , 29 are more likely to be hesitant. Commonly reported barriers to vaccine uptake include lack of confidence in science and vaccine efficacy, 16 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 fear of side effects, 16 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 30 belief that COVID‐19 is benign,…”

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Assess Knowledge and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Romania

“…By knowing the actual reasons behind not reaching the country’s vaccination target, specific measures can be taken to increase people’s confidence and compliance. For instance, cardiovascular patients within our 194-sized sample did not have higher vaccination rates, although cardiovascular diseases are known risk factors for developing severe forms of COVID-19 [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. However, the presence of diabetes was significantly associated with a better score in our questionnaire and with a higher proportion of vaccinated people.…”