Differences in the Perceived Likelihood of Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine

Abstract

There are limited studies on the perceived likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine among the general US population and its subpopulations. We examined the association between the perceived likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine with the self-reported likelihood of contracting COVID-19, social-distancing stress, COVID-19 diagnosis status, mental health disorders, and sociodemographic characteristics. The data were collected using a national cross-sectional survey (N = 5404) between 13 May 2021 and 9 January 2022. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Setting: United States. Participants: Adults aged ≥ 18 years. The majority of US adults (67.34%) indicated they intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. There was a decreased perceived likelihood of getting vaccinated associated with those aged 18–49 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.29–59; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.20–0.85); with a less than college education (AOR = 0.37–58; 95% CI = 0.28–0.68); with no health insurance (AOR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.40, 0.58); with no perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19 (AOR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.68, 0.89); and with anxiety/depression (AOR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.59, 0.76). Black/African Americans had a lower perceived likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine (AOR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.71, 0.98), while Asians (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.35, 2.74) and Hispanics/Latinos (AOR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.74) had a higher perceived likelihood compared with Whites. Individuals reporting social distancing as stressful (AOR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.45) were associated with an increased perceive likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Our study showed that younger adults, Black/African Americans, and those with a less than college education, no health insurance, or anxiety/depression may be less likely to receive vaccination. Future research should examine the explanatory mechanisms contributing to the lower perceived likelihood of vaccination among these groups, such as barriers to vaccine education or vaccine access. Public health interventions should prioritize these populations to improve vaccination rates.

Demographic and Psychosocial Correlates of COVID-19 Vaccination Status among a Statewide Sample in Texas

“…Additional studies should be initiated to explore strategies that may increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among younger age groups. Furthermore, our results showed that more than a third of respondents with either a high school degree or some college were not vaccinated, which is consistent with existing research that individuals with lower educational levels showed higher hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination and reported lower vaccination rates [22,32]. Individuals with lower education levels may have limited science health literacy, influencing confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.…”

“…Prior to availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, studies showed that Asians and Hispanics/Latinos reported greater intentions to get the vaccine and Black non-Hispanic/non-Latinx were more hesitant to get the vaccine if a vaccine was approved [20,21]. This pattern is still evident as studies conducted during the post-vaccine period show that Black non-Hispanics were less willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine compared to other racial and ethnic groups [22,23]. There are also known trends in racial and ethnic differences regarding general adult vaccinations, with minority populations having lower vaccination rates [24,25].…”

County-level barriers in the COVID-19 vaccine coverage index and their associations with willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine across racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.

“…These findings suggest that individual-level factors may have affected the association between these county-level vaccination barriers and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by serving as confounders and/or mediators in these relationships. The influence of the individual-level sociodemographic covariates on willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is consistent with previous literature (22,(34)(35)(36) and further suggests that many sociodemographic characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions vary systematically across counties in the U.S.…”

Associations between the Self-Reported Likelihood of Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine, Likelihood of Contracting COVID-19, Discrimination, and Anxiety/Depression by Sexual Orientation

“…Interestingly, we also found sexual minority individuals with mild anxiety/depression symptoms had the highest likelihood of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, but individuals with moderate and severe anxiety/depression had a lower likelihood of vaccination. Prior research in this area is inconsistent, with some showing individuals with mental health conditions are more likely to be vaccinated [ 44 , 45 ], others showing they are less likely [ 43 , 46 , 47 , 48 ], and some showing variability in vaccination by the type and severity of mental health symptoms [ 44 ]. We provide evidence of heterogeneity in vaccine intent by sexual orientation and level of anxiety/depression symptoms, illustrating individuals with mild and severe anxiety/depression may be the most at risk for being unvaccinated.…”

“…Avoidance of medical care because of perceived discrimination has been documented among racial/ethnic and sexual minority groups [ 63 , 64 , 65 ]. Thus, discrimination experiences may also lead to vaccine hesitancy [ 48 ], highlighting a need to improve trust and engagement in healthcare settings with populations vulnerable to discrimination. Interestingly, sexual minority individuals who experienced discrimination once a month had the highest perceived probability of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, indicating a deviation from prior literature [ 66 , 67 ].…”