Closing the Gap on COVID-19 Vaccinations in First Responders and Beyond: Increasing Trust

Megan E. Gregory, Sarah R. MacEwan, Alice A. Gaughan, Laura J. Rush, Jonathan R. Powell, Jordan D. Kurth, Eben Kenah, Ashish R. Panchal and Ann Scheck McAlearney
Additional contact information
Megan E. Gregory: Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Sarah R. MacEwan: The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Alice A. Gaughan: The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Laura J. Rush: The Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research (CATALYST), College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Jonathan R. Powell: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Jordan D. Kurth: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Eben Kenah: Division of Biostatistics, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Ashish R. Panchal: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Ann Scheck McAlearney: Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: Although COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in the U.S. and much of the world, many have chosen to forgo this vaccination. Emergency medical services (EMS) professionals, despite their role on the frontlines and interactions with COVID-positive patients, are not immune to vaccine hesitancy. Via a survey conducted in April 2021, we investigated the extent to which first responders in the U.S. trusted various information sources to provide reliable information about COVID-19 vaccines. Those vaccinated generally trusted healthcare providers as a source of information, but unvaccinated first responders had fairly low trust in this information source—a group to which they, themselves, belong. Additionally, regardless of vaccination status, trust in all levels of government, employers, and their community as sources of information was low. Free-response explanations provided some context to these findings, such as preference for other COVID-19 management options, including drugs proven ineffective. A trusted source of COVID-19 vaccination information is not readily apparent. Individuals expressed a strong desire for the autonomy to make vaccination decisions for themselves, as opposed to mandates. Potential reasons for low trust, possible solutions to address them, generalizability to the broader public, and implications of low trust in official institutions are discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19; vaccine hesitancy; frontline healthcare workers; emergency medical services; medical mistrust (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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