Amid the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, there is an opportunity for targeted outreach to boost shot rates among unvaccinated Hispanic adults, who are eager to get inoculated but face access and information barriers, according to a May 13 Kaiser Family Foundation report.
The report is based on a survey conducted April 15-29 among 2,097 U.S. adults, including 507 Black adults, 778 Hispanic adults and 717 white adults.
Five survey findings:
1. A third of unvaccinated Hispanic adults (33 percent) said they want to get a shot as soon as possible, compared to 16 percent of unvaccinated white adults and 17 percent of Black adults.
2. Forty-seven percent of Hispanic adults reported receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, compared to 60 percent of white adults and 51 percent of Black adults.
3. Among all unvaccinated Hispanic adults, 64 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned about missing work because of side effects, and 49 percent cited concern that they won't be able to get the shot from a trusted place.
4. Thirty-nine percent of unvaccinated Hispanic adults cited concern about possibly having to provide a Social Security number or government-issued identification to get the shot, although the federal government has said immigration status should not affect vaccine accessibility.
5. Forty-six percent of Hispanic adults know that shots are free for U.S. residents, and 42 percent know that all adults are eligible regardless of immigration status.
"With so many unvaccinated Hispanic adults eager to get a shot, there's an opportunity to further close the gap in vaccination rates by addressing worries about costs and practical concerns such as time off work," Liz Hamel, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice president and director of Kaiser Family Foundation's public opinion and survey research, said in a news release.
Read more about the survey findings here.