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Volume 27, Number 11—November 2021
Dispatch

COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage, Intent, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs among Essential Workers, United States

Kimberly H. NguyenComments to Author , David Yankey, Kelsey C. Coy, Kathryn A. Brookmeyer, Neetu Abad, Rebecca Guerin, Girija Syamlal, Peng-jun Lu, Brittney N. Baack, Hilda Razzaghi, Andrea Okun, and James A. Singleton
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (K.H. Nguyen, D. Yankey, K.C. Coy, K.A. Brookmeyer, N. Abad, R. Guerin, G. Syamlal, P. Lu, B. Baack, H. Razzaghi, A. Okun, J.A. Singleton); Leidos, Inc., Atlanta (K.C. Coy)

Main Article

Table 1

Reasons for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, by essential worker group and vaccination intent, United States, March–June 2021*

Reason All groups, n = 5,308
Healthcare personnel, 
n = 1,308
Frontline workers, 
n = 2,300
Other workers, n = 1,700
Total R, n = 714 RL, n = 1,059 Total R, n = 121 RL, n = 197 Total R, n = 316 RL, n = 437 Total R, n = 277 RL, n = 425
Possible side effects
58.0 (55.0–60.9)
59.5 (54.7–64.2)
57.3 (53.4–61.1)

58.3 (50.6–65.7)
55.5 (44.1–66.4)
60.4 (50.2–69.9)

57.9 (53.3–62.3)
58.4 (51.0–65.5)
57.6 (51.5–63.5)

58.0 (53.3–62.6)
62.3 (54.5–69.7)
55.1 (49.2–60.9)
Wait and see if it is safe
42.9 (40.1–45.8)
54.4 (49.5–59.3)
35.2 (31.6–38.9)

46.3 (39.1–53.7)
57.7 (46.3–68.5)
41.0 (31.6–50.9)

41.4 (37.3–45.7)
50.4 (43.5–57.3)
35.0 (29.9–40.4)

43.0 (38.2–47.9)
57.6 (49.2–65.7)
32.1 (26.9–37.8)
Do not trust the vaccine
41.9 (39.0–44.8)
22.3 (18.6–26.4)
56.2 (52.3–59.9)

45.2 (37.7–52.8)
21.2 (13.3–31.1)
57.9 (48.2–67.2)

41.3 (37.0–45.6)
24.9 (19.1–31.5)
54.2 (48.2–60.2)

41.0 (36.6–45.5)
19.8 (14.4–26.3)
57.3 (51.4–63.0)
Vaccine is not needed
25.7 (23.1–28.5)
10.5 (7.8–13.7)
36.6 (32.8–40.5)

23.7 (17.3–31.1)
8.5 (4.2–15.0)
31.8 (22.6–42.1)

24.2 (20.5–28.2)
10.8 (7.1–15.6)
34.4 (29.0–40.2)

28.3 (24.1–32.8)
10.9 (6.3–17.2)
41.8 (36.0–47.7)
Concern about allergic reaction
25.0 (22.6–27.5)
26.7 (22.8–31.0)
23.9 (20.8–27.2)

23.0 (17.7–29.0)
32.6 (22.5–44.1)
17.3 (11.9–24.0)

26.1 (22.4–30.0)
23.5 (18.3–29.4)
28.4 (23.2–33.9)

24.9 (20.8–29.2)
28.1 (21.3–35.8)
22.6 (18.0–27.7)
Vaccine might not work
24.3 (21.8–27.0)
19.9 (16.3–23.9)
27.8 (24.2–31.5)

28.5 (21.6–36.2)
17.7 (11.1–26.3)
34.3 (24.8–44.8)

22.6 (19.3–26.3)
17.1 (12.3–22.9)
27.1 (22.3–32.4)

24.2 (20.2–28.6)
23.8 (17.6–30.9)
24.8 (19.6–30.5)
Others need vaccine more
19.0 (16.8–21.4)
28.7 (24.8–32.9)
12.2 (9.8–14.9)

14.9 (9.8–21.3)
19.7 (11.9–29.8)
12.6 (6.3–21.7)

18.2 (15.1–21.6)
26.0 (20.1–32.5)
12.4 (9.2–16.1)

21.8 (18.1–26.0)
35.1 (27.9–42.9)
11.8 (8.3–16.2)
COVID-19 is not a threat
18.7 (16.5–21.0)
8.6 (5.9–12.0)
25.9 (22.9–29.2)

16.3 (11.0–22.8)
3.1 (0.8–7.9)†
23.3 (15.5–32.6)

17.6 (14.6–21.0)
10.4 (6.2–16.1)
23.2 (18.9–28.0)

21.0 (17.4–24.9)
8.6 (4.3–15.0)
30.4 (25.3–35.9)
Do not like needles
10.4 (8.6–12.5)
12.3 (9.1–16.1)
9.2 (6.9–11.9)

8.7 (4.5–14.8)
6.6 (1.7–16.7)†
9.8 (4.3–18.4)†

11.2 (8.5–14.5)
14.7 (9.9–20.6)
8.8 (5.6–13.0)

10.4 (7.5–13.9)
11.8 (7.0–18.3)
9.3 (6.1–13.6)
Obstacles prevent vaccination
5.1 (3.8–6.8)
6.7 (4.4–9.6)
4.0 (2.4–6.3)

6.5 (2.8–12.6)†
7.5 (3.2–14.5)†
6.0 (1.4–15.9)†

4.9 (3.2–7.2)
6.2 (3.7–9.7)
3.8 (1.7–7.2)†

4.7 (2.7–7.6)
6.8 (3.0–13.1)†
3.1 (1.6–5.5)
Concerned about cost
4.6 (3.2–6.5)
7.2 (4.5–10.8)
2.8 (1.5–5.0)

3.8 (1.4–8.0)†
7.0 (1.6–18.2)†
2.1 (0.4–6.2)†

3.6 (2.0–6.0)
5.8 (3.0–10.1)
2.0 (0.5–5.3)

6.2 (3.4–10.2)
8.8 (3.9–16.7)†
4.2 (1.5–9.1)†
Community members are not getting vaccinated 3.1 (2.2–4.2) 2.6 (1.6–4.1) 3.4 (2.2–5.1) 1.2 (0.3–3.2) 1.3 (0.1–5.5)† 1.2 (0.2–3.9) 4.0 (2.5–6.1) 2.9 (1.3–5.4) 4.9 (2.6–8.4) 2.9 (1.7–4.6) 2.9 (1.3–5.6) 3.0 (1.3–5.6)

*Values are reported as % respondents (95% CI). n values indicate unweighted sample size/denominator. Bold text indicates statistical significance (p<0.05) between reachable and reluctant groups; reluctant group is the referent. R respondents were defined as adults who probably would or were unsure about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. RL respondents were defined as adults who probably or definitely would not get a COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19, coronavirus disease; R, reachable; RL, reluctant.

†Estimates do not meet the National Center for Health Statistics standards of reliability (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_02/sr02_175.pdf).

Main Article

Page created: August 27, 2021
Page updated: October 19, 2021
Page reviewed: October 19, 2021
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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