LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A recent survey, conducted by researchers with the University of Louisville Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute and the Co-Immunity Project, found that 91% of respondents in Jefferson County would choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Even still, the survey also highlighted known disparities in access and trust of vaccines among minority populations.
“We wanted to better understand which residents had access to the vaccine as well as their attitudes toward the vaccine,” said Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., director of the UofL Brown Envirome Institute.
“This information would help us improve equity in vaccine availability as well as help us understand the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy in our community. So, we incorporated the survey opportunity into our outreach for random community testing for the virus.”
Nearly 36,000 letters were sent out to individuals in Jefferson County inviting them to participate in an online survey. According to the researchers, 1,296 people responded.
Researchers acknowledged that participation was not perfectly representative of the county as a whole—44% were age 60 or older, 61% were female, and 84% were white—but even still, said there were important insights gleaned into current attitudes toward vaccination and concerns that can be addressed for hesitant individuals.
In addition to the vast majority saying they would get a COVID-19 vaccine, more than 90% of respondents said they had not yet been vaccinated—meaning a large group of people exists who have not yet been vaccinated but intend to.
Among those who said they will not get a vaccine, minorities were overrepresented slightly: 8% of minority respondents, compared to 3% of white respondents.
The survey identified a few key areas of concern that may be addressed in response to this disparity. For example, minority participants were less likely to know where and how to sign up for vaccine appointments. Even though the vaccines are free to receive, more than half said they were concerned about “costs."
Vaccine-hesitant respondents also said they were concerned about the safety and side effects of the vaccines; but, some said that celebrity endorsements, offerings by faith organizations, and seeing friends and family get vaccinated would help them feel more comfortable.
“Obtaining information on how to get a vaccine continues to be burdensome and solutions to this problem will help with more equitable vaccine distribution,” said Rachel Keith, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UofL Department of Medicine and a lead investigator in the Co-Immunity Project.
An important note: the demographic skew in respondents to the survey loosely tracks with demographic skew of vaccinations across Kentucky thus far. White residents, women, and older residents have so far been more likely to receive a vaccine.
Contact reporter Rob Harris at rjharris@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@robharristv) and Facebook.
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