Uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and associated factors among patients attending oncology services in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A mixed design methods’ trajectories

Background COVID-19 vaccination campaigns have reduced diseases severity and fatalities around the globe. Global data shows 67.7% of the general population are vaccinated, and Tanzania is reported to have over 70% coverage among individuals more than 18 years of age. However, group-specific assessment of the vaccination coverage is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, and cancer patients constitute a special priority group owing to the vulnerability attributable to this group. Methods A cross-sectional study design was conducted in September 2022 at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. A stratified sampling technique was used for quantitative data collection involving 479 cancer patients, and convenience sampling was applied for qualitative data collection involving 26 patients. Data were analysed using the statistical software ‘R’ by logistic regression analysis to determine association between socio-demographic, clinical and health belief model (HBM) variables against COVID-19 vaccine uptake among cancer patients. Results A total of 384 (80.2%) participants were female with a mean age (± standard deviation) of 48 ± 12.4 years; ranging from 18 to 83 years. Approximately 58.2% (278/479) of the participants reported to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and among them 79.5% were females. Having secondary school education or higher education (OR 2.26, CI 1.20–4.27 p = 0.011), perception on COVID-19 vaccine (OR 8.86, CI 2.84–32.2, p < 0.001) and perceived severity of COVID-19 (OR 0.56, CI 0.36–0.87, p = 0.010) were significantly associated with vaccine uptake. In the qualitative part, the findings suggest that individuals’ beliefs, perceptions, and external factors play a role in their decision to get vaccinated. Conclusions Approximately 6 out of 10 cancer patients at the ORCI reported to be vaccinated; with patients’ higher education status, perception on COVID-19 vaccine, and perceived severity being significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Public health interventions should leverage these identified factors to promote vaccine uptake through tailoring communication efforts to specific characteristics.