COVID-19 Vaccine Survey among Healthcare Workers. A Community Experience.

INTRODUCTION: In December 2019, the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) made its first appearance in Wuhan, China with a pandemic declared by March 2020. As the death toll continued to rise, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended healthcare workers to strongly encourage the general population to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. For this to be effective, it is important to understand the general perceptions of the health care workers and persons associated with the healthcare industry towards their acceptance of the vaccine. METHODS: The authors of this 2021 cross-sectional study administered a 28-item survey to a convenience sample of 1,257 (43.1%) healthcare system workers out of a total of 2,915. The survey assessed respondents’ demographic information, COVID-19 vaccine status, work-related exposures to COVID-19, reasons for receiving or refusing the vaccine, and primary sources of vaccine related information. Respondents were classified as vaccine status/intention positive or negative. RESULTS: Those in the youngest 18 - 35 years age group were significantly less likely to receive the vaccine (p < 0.01) and male healthcare workers were significantly more likely to receive the vaccine (p = 0.01). White respondents, 759 (77.9%) were also more likely to receive the vaccine than African-American, 127 (13%). It was more likely for persons to be vaccinated when encouraged/provided (p = 0.01) information by their respective employers. A subgroup of 277 (22.0%) respondents reported their employer as the primary source of vaccine information, causing the authors to conclude that employer information was the most influential informational factor impacting COVID-19 vaccination. CONCLUSION: Vaccine hesitancy continues to be a major obstacle hampering the success of COVID-19 vaccination promotion programs. Results indicate that a combination of a prior COVID-19 diagnosis, information dispensed by a person’s employer, persons’ home living situations, and contact with persons who had an uneventful post vaccination experience increased the likelihood of vaccination.