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. 2022 Mar 29;10(4):527.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines10040527.

The Concern of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Is behind Its Low Uptake among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Sudan

Saeed M Omar  1 , Rehana Khalil  2 , Ishag Adam  3 , Osama Al-Wutayd  2
Affiliations

The Concern of COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Is behind Its Low Uptake among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Sudan

Saeed M Omar et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

Diabetic patients are vulnerable to developing severe complications and have a higher risk of death due to COVID-19 infection. Vaccination remains the mainstay during the current situation to mitigate the risks related to COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the vaccination status and the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Sudan. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2022 at Gadarif Hospital in eastern Sudan. Information on sociodemographics, the contracting of COVID-19 during the pandemic, beliefs toward COVID-19 vaccinations, and barriers related to COVID-19 vaccinations was obtained through an interview questionnaire among adult (≥18 years) patients with DM. Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses performed. A total of 568 diabetic patients were enrolled, with a mean (SD) age of 53.07 (12.69) years. The majority of the participants were female (67.6%), urban residents (63.4%), uneducated (60.6%) and employed (73.2%). There was a history of COVID-19 in 97.4% of participants, and 29.2% of them had hypertension along with DM. About 31% received the vaccine, out of which 17.9% received the first dose, 13.2% received the second dose, and 0.2% received the third dose. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between belief in the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and having had two doses of it (adjusted Odds ratio = 20.42, p < 0.001). The prevalence of COVID-19 infection was high, while the rate of COVID-19 vaccination uptake was low and inadequate among the participants. Appropriate health education and targeted interventions toward awareness of safety concerns are highly recommended.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Sudan; diabetes mellitus; vaccine uptake.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ref. [43] shows the map of Sudan with highlighted study setting (Gadarif).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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