A survey on the attitude and willingness of Chinese cancer patients toward a COVID-19 booster vaccine

Objective The 2019 novel coronavirus is still rapidly mutating and spreading worldwide, posing a great global health challenge, especially vulnerable groups, including cancer patients. Studies comparing the clinical outcomes of cancer patients receiving or not receiving the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have not yet shown significant benefits. Therefore, this study mainly focused on the attitudes and willingness of cancer patients toward COVID-19 booster vaccines and to distinguish independent predictors that may impact the vaccination of cancer patients. Methods An online cross-sectional study was conducted between July 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023 in China. Patients were selected using a convenience sampling method, and a self-reporting questionnaire was developed based on a literature review to evaluate the attitude of cancer patients towards the intensive use of COVID-19 vaccines and the willingness of patients to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Independent predictors associated with accepting a COVID-19 booster vaccine were determined through multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 1055 participants were included in this study. The vaccine acceptance rate was 56.11% (592/1055), while the hesitancy rate was 43.89% (463/1055). Frequent smoking, those who had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, belief that the COVID-19 booster vaccine was necessary, belief that the COVID-19 booster vaccine was safe and effective, willingness to pay for the COVID-19 booster vaccine, and recommendation of COVID-19 booster vaccine by friends and family were contributing factors for vaccine acceptance. Conclusion This study recommends developing healthcare policies appropriate for cancer patients to facilitate their acceptance of vaccines, such as publishing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, providing individualized treatment options after adequate risk assessment and developing specific COVID-19 vaccines suitable for cancer patients.