Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated its capacity for rapid global transmission, leading to an unprecedented public health crisis with profound social, economic, and political repercussions. DM is one of the most common comorbidities in individuals with COVID-19 and is associated with increased risk of severe disease, intensive care unit admissions, and higher mortality. Given the high vulnerability of diabetic patients to adverse outcomes from COVID-19, primary prevention through vaccination remains the cornerstone strategy for reducing the risk of infection and its complications in this population. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among individuals with diabetes and to identify factors influencing vaccine acceptance. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in randomly selected eligible adult DM patients visiting endocrine clinic in TASH from September 1 to October 30, 2022 using structured questionnaire. Data was entered into SPSS Version 25 and descriptive statistics was done to summarize the data. Then binary logistic regression analysis using bivariate and multivariate analysis was done. Results: A total of 305 patients participated in the study, of whom 201 (66%) had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of the vaccinated individuals, 102(50.7%) were administered two doses and 60(29.9%) received three doses. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of vaccine uptake included male sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.46–3.45), age groups of 31–40 years, 41–50 years, 51–60 years, 61–69 years, and >70 years (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.21–12.78; AOR = 9.9, 95% CI = 2.67–36.98; AOR = 8.9, 95% CI = 2.56–30.85; AOR = 7.9, 95% CI = 1.89–33.06, respectively). Additionally, higher educational attainment was associated with greater vaccine uptake, with secondary education (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.19–8.11) and tertiary education (AOR = 7.8, 95% CI = 2.54–23.87) showing significant associations. Perceived severity of COVID-19 infection was also a predictor of vaccine uptake (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.88–6.60). Beliefs about the benefits of vaccination, such as the perception that vaccination reduces the risk of transmission (AOR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.21–18.29), the belief that vaccination is the best way to prevent complications (AOR = 12.1, 95% CI = 3.89–37.55), and the belief in the efficacy of vaccination in reducing the risk of infection when recommended by a healthcare provider (AOR = 6.1, 95% CI = 1.98–19.02), were also positively associated with vaccine uptake. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccine uptake among DM patients at TASH was low. Thus, different strategies should be applied to promote COVID-19 vaccine uptake in DM patients.