Impact of COVID-19 on the Vector-Borne Disease Research and Applied Public Health Workforce in the United States

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The coronavirus pandemic has imposed extraordinary demands on the public and environmental health workforce, including those who work on vector-borne disease (VBD) prevention and control. In late 2021, we surveyed more than 100 applied public health professionals, academic researchers, and others working on VBDs in the United States. They reported that the supply chain disruptions and limited access to facilities that impeded laboratory work in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 have largely resolved. However, many public health personnel across job types and career stages are still working fewer hours on VBDs than they did before the pandemic. Many reported that they expect it to take several years for VBD specialists to fully reengage with clinicians and the public, reinvigorate their partnerships and professional networks, and recover from interruptions to work productivity and professional development. Despite these challenges, most applied and academic VBD workers remain enthusiastic about their work and eager to advance this important area of infectious disease research and practice.