COVID-19 Vaccine Early Skepticism, Misinformation and Informational Needs among Essential Workers in the USA

Elena Savoia, Maxwell Su, Rachael Piltch-Loeb, Evelyn Masterson and Marcia A. Testa
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Elena Savoia: Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Maxwell Su: Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Rachael Piltch-Loeb: Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Evelyn Masterson: Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Marcia A. Testa: Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-16

Abstract: This study presents the results of a survey of 1591 hesitant U.S. essential workers, conducted over Pollfish in December 2020 when they were the only group eligible for the vaccine, aiming to describe their concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety, effectiveness and distribution policies. We computed frequencies using the SAS software for each answer, using chi-squared statistics and Cochran–Armitage trend tests to determine how informational needs differ by age, gender, level of education, race, source of COVID-19 information and levels of vaccine acceptance. The results of this study show that freedom of choice, equal access to the vaccine and being able to live a life with no restrictions once vaccinated were important concerns since the early days of the distribution campaign, with 53% (836/1591), 42% (669/1591) and 35% (559/1591) of hesitant respondents, respectively, indicating they would be more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if they felt these issues were satisfactorily addressed. Early risk communication and immunization campaign strategies should address not only the reported efficacy and safety of new vaccines, but, as equally important, the population’s perceptions and beliefs regarding personal choice, effectiveness and adverse consequences.

Keywords: COVID-19; vaccine acceptance; misinformation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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