tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Eur J Cancer
. 2021 May 26;S0959-8049(21)00310-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.05.006. Online ahead of print.
The first report on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine refusal by patients with solid cancer in Italy: Early data from a single-institute survey
Vincenzo Di Noia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Davide Renna[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vittoria Barberi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mattia Di Civita[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Federica Riva[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Giulia Costantini[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Emanuela Dell' Aquila[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Michelangelo Russillo[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Domenico Bracco[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Antonia Marina La Malfa[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Diana Giannarelli[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Francesco Cognetti[SUP] 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, including death, and thus, they were considered as high-priority subjects for COVID-19 vaccination. We report on the compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine of patients affected by solid tumours.
Materials and methods: Patients with cancer afferent to Medical Oncology 1 Unit of Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome were considered eligible for vaccination if they were receiving systemic immunosuppressive antitumor treatment or received it in the last 6 months or having an uncontrolled advanced disease. The Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine was proposed to all candidates via phone or during a scheduled visit. The reasons for refusal were collected by administrating a 6-item multiple-choice questionnaire.
Results: From 1st March to 20th March 2021, of 914 eligible patients, 102 refused vaccination (11.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1-13.2). The most frequent (>10%) reasons reported were concerns about vaccine-related adverse events (48.1%), negative interaction with concomitant antitumor therapy (26.7%), and the fear of allergic reaction (10.7%). The refusal rate (RR) after 15th March (date of AstraZeneca-AZD1222 suspension) was more than doubled compared with the RR observed before (19.7% versus 8.6%, odds ratio [OR] 2.60, 95% CI 1.69-3.99; P < 0.0001). ECOG-PS 2 was associated with higher RR compared with ECOG-PS 0-1 (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.04-8.34; P = 0.04). No statistically significant differences in RR according to other clinical characteristics were found.
Conclusions: Our experience represents the first worldwide report on the adherence of patients with cancer to COVID-19 vaccination and underlines how regulatory decisions and media news spreading could influence the success of the campaign.
Keywords: BNT162b2; COVID-19; Cancer patients; Public health; Refusal; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccine.
. 2021 May 26;S0959-8049(21)00310-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.05.006. Online ahead of print.
The first report on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine refusal by patients with solid cancer in Italy: Early data from a single-institute survey
Vincenzo Di Noia[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Davide Renna[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vittoria Barberi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mattia Di Civita[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Federica Riva[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Giulia Costantini[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Emanuela Dell' Aquila[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Michelangelo Russillo[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Domenico Bracco[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Antonia Marina La Malfa[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Diana Giannarelli[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Francesco Cognetti[SUP] 12 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34183225
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2021.05.006
Abstract
Introduction: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, including death, and thus, they were considered as high-priority subjects for COVID-19 vaccination. We report on the compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine of patients affected by solid tumours.
Materials and methods: Patients with cancer afferent to Medical Oncology 1 Unit of Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome were considered eligible for vaccination if they were receiving systemic immunosuppressive antitumor treatment or received it in the last 6 months or having an uncontrolled advanced disease. The Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine was proposed to all candidates via phone or during a scheduled visit. The reasons for refusal were collected by administrating a 6-item multiple-choice questionnaire.
Results: From 1st March to 20th March 2021, of 914 eligible patients, 102 refused vaccination (11.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 9.1-13.2). The most frequent (>10%) reasons reported were concerns about vaccine-related adverse events (48.1%), negative interaction with concomitant antitumor therapy (26.7%), and the fear of allergic reaction (10.7%). The refusal rate (RR) after 15th March (date of AstraZeneca-AZD1222 suspension) was more than doubled compared with the RR observed before (19.7% versus 8.6%, odds ratio [OR] 2.60, 95% CI 1.69-3.99; P < 0.0001). ECOG-PS 2 was associated with higher RR compared with ECOG-PS 0-1 (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.04-8.34; P = 0.04). No statistically significant differences in RR according to other clinical characteristics were found.
Conclusions: Our experience represents the first worldwide report on the adherence of patients with cancer to COVID-19 vaccination and underlines how regulatory decisions and media news spreading could influence the success of the campaign.
Keywords: BNT162b2; COVID-19; Cancer patients; Public health; Refusal; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccine.