Awareness and Knowledge About Preventive Vaccinations Among Patients with Hematological Malignancies

Patients with hematological malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), are at an increased risk of severe infections due to both disease- and therapy-related immunosuppression. This cross-sectional study evaluated awareness of infection risks and vaccination uptake among 150 adults with various hematological malignancies from major Polish centers.

All participants completed a 30-item questionnaire capturing demographic data, treatment history, infection frequency, and vaccination attitude. Statistical analyses utilized Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Respondents had a median age of 57 years (range, 30-79), and 65.3% were female. MM was the most common diagnosis (64.7%), followed by CLL (4.0%) and other hematological malignancies (31.3%). Nearly all participants (99.3%) acknowledged their increased susceptibility to infections. Frequent infections (≥2 in the past 6 months) were significantly associated with transfusion dependency (p = 0.0001) and a history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT, p = 0.009). Although 69.3% expressed willingness to be vaccinated, 23.3% declined COVID-19 vaccination due to insufficient cancer-specific safety data. Higher education and urban residence correlated with greater acceptance of vaccines (p < 0.05).

Our findings underscore the critical need for targeted educational strategies and robust vaccination guidelines in this immunocompromised population. Enhanced patient education and timely implementation of tailored vaccination regimens could reduce infection-related morbidity and improve the tolerability of cancer treatments.