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

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  • Elena Savoia

    (Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
    Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) Program, 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
    Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) Program, 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
    Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) Program, 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
    Emergency Preparedness Research, Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena Savoia & Maxwell Su & Rachael Piltch-Loeb & Evelyn Masterson & Marcia A. Testa, 2021. "COVID-19 Vaccine Early Skepticism, Misinformation and Informational Needs among Essential Workers in the USA," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13244-:d:703388
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brian Hughes & Cynthia Miller-Idriss & Rachael Piltch-Loeb & Beth Goldberg & Kesa White & Meili Criezis & Elena Savoia, 2021. "Development of a Codebook of Online Anti-Vaccination Rhetoric to Manage COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Jamison, Amelia M. & Quinn, Sandra Crouse & Freimuth, Vicki S., 2019. "“You don't trust a government vaccine”: Narratives of institutional trust and influenza vaccination among African American and white adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 221(C), pages 87-94.
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    1. Sylwia Kałucka & Ewa Kusideł & Izabela Grzegorczyk-Karolak, 2022. "A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study on the Risk of Getting Sick with COVID-19, the Course of the Disease, and the Impact of the National Vaccination Program against SARS-CoV-2 on Vaccination among H," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-17, June.

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