Vaccination status and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in patients undergoing active cancer treatment in a referral center in Mexico: a survey study

Abstract

Background COVID-19 vaccination refusal/hesitancy among patients with cancer has been reported to be high. This study aimed to assess vaccination status and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines in patients with cancer undergoing active treatment in a single center in Mexico. Methods A cross-sectional, 26-item survey evaluating vaccination status and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination was conducted among patients undergoing active cancer treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination status, and attitudes. X2 tests and multivariate analysis were used to evaluate associations between characteristics and attitudes with adequate vaccination status. Results Of 201 respondents, 95% had received at least one dose, and 67% had adequate COVID-19 vaccination status (≥ 3 doses). Thirty-six percent of patients had at least one reason for doubting/rejecting vaccination, and the main reason was being afraid of side effects. On multivariate analysis, age ≥ 60 years (odds ratio (OR) 3.77), mass media as main source of information on COVID-19 (OR 2.55), agreeing vaccination against COVID-19 is safe in patients with cancer (OR 3.11), and not being afraid of the composition of the COVID-19 vaccines (OR 5.10) statistically increased the likelihood of adequate vaccination status. Conclusions Our study shows high vaccination rates and positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines, with a significant proportion of patients undergoing active cancer treatment with adequate vaccination status (≥ 3 doses). Older age, use of mass media as main source of COVID-19 information, and positive attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of adequate COVID-19 vaccination status among patients with cancer.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy prevalence in Mexico: A systematic review and metanalysis

“…In a study evaluating vaccination status and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination among 201 patients undergoing cancer treatment, 95 % of the respondents had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine and 67 % were compliant with WHO guidelines at the time (at least one booster). [27] Nearly a third of the respondents reported “being afraid of side effects” but were not explicitly classified as vaccine hesitant in the study. Moreover, age ≥ 60 years and using mass media as a source of information were highly associated with higher likelihood of having WHO-compliant vaccination status.…”

“… nd 50.1 18.8 Villarreal-Garza [28] From 3/12/2021 to 3/26/2021 6/10/2021 540 Women with breast cancer currently living in Mexico Electronic/Snowball 49 [23–85] 100 34 Guaracha-Basáñez [38] From 3/01/2021 to 9/13/2021 12/02/2021 600 Mexican outpatients with a rheumatologic condition, ≥ 18 years Face-to-Face 46 [35–56] 86.5 35.5 Castaneda-Vasquez [33] From 10/2020 to 11/2020 3/23/2021 543 Healthcare Personnel of the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico Electronic 21 [18–69] 65.0 5.5 Guaracha-Basáñez [39] From 03/01/2021 to 09/30/2021 04/07/2022 1,439 Mexican outpatients with a rheumatologic condition, ≥ 18 years Electronic 47.4ª [nd] 85.8 27.8 González-Block [29] From 12/20/2021 to 12/30/2021 09/192022 360 Community dwellers in Mexico City living with or without comorbidities. Electronic 44.2 [18–86] 50.5 Living with chronic conditions (15 %) Not living with chronic conditions (7 %) Martinez-Cannon [27] From 05/02/2022 to 07/22/2022 03/13/2023 201 Patients with cancer undergoing active cancer treatment in a referral center in Mexico. Electronic 62 [19–92] 57.2 5 Ramonfaur [30] From 09/15/2021 to 10/30/2021 05/03/2023 1,475 Mexican pregnant people attending a follow-up appointment or at labor & delivery at a maternity center.…”

“… [37] Among respondents with cancer (n = 5,459), 13 % indicated VH, a much lower prevalence compared to the study by Villarreal and collaborators on breast cancer in Mexico, [28] but higher compared to the study by Martinez-Cannon, et al that reported that 95 % of their patients undergoing cancer treatment at an academic center in Mexico City had received at least one dose. [27] In the same study conducted on US residents with severe diseases, [37] patients with autoimmune conditions (n = 4,946) reported a VH prevalence of 19 %. Surveys conducted in Mexico among patients living with a rheumatologic condition estimate a high prevalence of VH in this population (27 to 36 %).…”

Long-Term Immunological Alertness and Response to COVID-19 Vaccination—Conditions for Prevention in Early Palliative Oncological Care Patients

“…However, a clear distinction had to be made between COVID-19-related and cancer progression symptoms [ 33 ]. The latter included the clinical manifestations of cancer therapy, in particular of the immuno- and targeted anticancer therapy [ 34 ]. The results have hereby shown partial support for other clinical studies.…”

Role of Healthcare Professionals and Sociodemographic Characteristics in COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance among Uro-Oncology Patients: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

“…Moreover, our study highlights the critical role of doctors involved in cancer patient treatment, particularly urologists in the case of uro-oncology patients, in promoting COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Furthermore, Martinez-Cannon et al reported high COVID-19 vaccination rates and positive attitudes among cancer patients in Mexico [ 32 ]. They found that unequivocally supporting information about COVID-19 vaccination in mainstream media and building confidence in vaccine safety were associated with higher vaccination rates in cancer patients.…”