ABSTRACT
Introduction People with blood cancers are prioritised to receive COVID-19 vaccination. However, it is unclear how prevalent vaccine hesitancy is in this group. This analysis investigated vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy in people with blood cancers in Australia. Methods An online survey was conducted at nine health services in Australia from June to October 2021. Participant demographics and vaccination status were recorded. Vaccine hesitancy was assessed using the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (OHS). Regression was used to examine whether clinico-demographic factors predicted the OHS score and vaccination status. Results Of the 869 participants, the mean age was 64.2 years, and 43.6% (n = 379) were female. A high proportion of participants had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose (85.3%, n = 741). Increasing age, speaking English as a first language, attending a regional health service, longer time since diagnosis and not currently receiving treatment were associated with being vaccinated. Participants who reported higher vaccine hesitancy were younger in age, more likely to have vocational qualifications and speak English as a second language. Conclusions There is a high rate of vaccination uptake in patients with blood cancers. However, younger patients and patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds appear to have lower vaccination uptake rates and higher levels of vaccine hesitancy. Tailored counselling may reduce the risk of adverse events due to COVID-19 infection.