COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Currently, more than 124 million U.S. residents have received the COVID-19 vaccine – that’s more than 39% of our population. Despite these positive statistics, a study published by the National Library of Medicine suggests vaccination enthusiasm has hit a plateau. The study, which surveyed 1,878 individuals, revealed 15% were “not likely” to get the vaccine, while 7% said they would “definitely not.”

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced more relaxed masking rules for fully vaccinated people, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains a problem. If you’re a health care worker, you know how important the COVID-19 vaccine is, but how can you respond to reasons people give for putting off vaccination? Dr. Sherita Golden, chief diversity officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine shared some insight vaccination holdouts would be hard-pressed to ignore:

  • Achieving herd immunity will allow us to return to work, participate in social activities, and reopen businesses.
  • Side effects of the vaccine are usually mild and temporary. A sore arm, body aches or mild fever are all signs your body is building immunity.
  • The longer you wait to get vaccinated, the more the virus can spread, including new variants.
  • COVID-19 vaccines were rigorously tested before being distributed, having been tested on thousands of participants in clinical trials. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully endorses the vaccines for emergency use, and the CDC describes them as “safe and effective.”

The Pandemic Isn’t Over

At the height of the pandemic, nearly 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 were documented. And while we’ve made significant progress in the fight against the virus, we’re not out of the woods yet: More than 27,000 daily new cases were reported this month. And while masking rules have relaxed in certain settings, the new CDC guidance does not apply to healthcare settings. Keeping PPE close at hand is important in hospitals and long-term care facilities, which is why Protection First’s PPE door caddies are worth the investment.