COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Factors Affecting Hesitancy Among US Nurses, March-June 2021.

Abstract

<b>Objectives.</b> To characterize COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy among US nurses. <b>Methods.</b> We surveyed nurses in 3 national cohorts during spring 2021. Participants who indicated that they did not plan to receive or were unsure whether they planned to receive the vaccine were considered vaccine hesitant. <b>Results.</b> Among 32 426 female current and former nurses, 93% had been or planned to be vaccinated. After adjustment for age, race/ethnicity, and occupational variables, vaccine hesitancy was associated with lower education, living in the South, and working in a group care or home health setting. Those who experienced COVID-19 deaths and those reporting personal or household vulnerability to COVID-19 were less likely to be hesitant. Having contracted COVID-19 doubled the risk of vaccine hesitancy (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.85, 2.53). Reasons for hesitancy that were common among nurses who did not plan to receive the vaccine were religion/ethics, belief that the vaccine was ineffective, and lack of concern about COVID-19; those who were unsure often cited concerns regarding side effects or medical reasons or reported that they had had COVID-19. <b>Conclusions.</b> Vaccine hesitancy was unusual and stemmed from specific concerns. <b>Public Health Implications.</b> Targeted messaging and outreach might reduce vaccine hesitancy. (<i>Am J Public Health</i>. 2022;112(11):1620-1629. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307050).