Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Among Refugees in the United States

Author:

Zhang Mengxi1ORCID,Gurung Ashok2,Anglewicz Philip3,Subedi Parangkush4,Payton Colleen5,Ali Ahmed6,Ibrahim Anisa7,Haider Mahri89,Hamidi Navid10,Atem Jacob11,Thang Jenni12,Wang Siqin13,Kim Curi4,Kimball Sarah L.1415,Karaki Fatima16,Nazhat Najib17,Abouagila Mouammar18,Yun Katherine19

Affiliation:

1. Department of Nutrition and Health Science, Ball State University College of Health, Muncie, IN, USA

2. PolicyLab, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

3. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

4. Office of Refugee Resettlement, US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA

5. School of Nursing and Public Health, Moravian University, Bethlehem, PA, USA

6. Somali Health Board, Seattle, WA, USA

7. Pediatric Clinic, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA

8. Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

9. International Medicine Clinic, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA

10. Afghan Health Initiative, Seattle, WA, USA

11. Southern Sudan Healthcare Organization, Okemos, MI, USA

12. Department of Consulting Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

13. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

14. Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

15. Immigrant & Refugee Health Center, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

16. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

17. Refugee Resettlement and Placement Services, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, SeaTac, WA, USA

18. Refugee Resettlement and Placement Services, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Tacoma, WA, USA

19. Division of General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Abstract

Objective Little is known about COVID-19 vaccination intentions among refugee communities in the United States. The objective of this study was to measure COVID-19 vaccination intentions among a sample of refugees in the United States and the reasons for their vaccine acceptance or hesitancy. Methods From December 2020 through January 2021, we emailed or text messaged anonymous online surveys to 12 bilingual leaders in the Afghan, Bhutanese, Somali, South Sudanese, and Burmese refugee communities in the United States. We asked community leaders to complete the survey and share the link with community members who met the inclusion criteria (arrived in the United States as refugees, were aged ≥18, and currently lived in the United States). We compared the characteristics of respondents who intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine with those of respondents who did not intend to receive the vaccine or were unsure. We then conducted crude and adjusted logistic regression analysis to measure the association between employment as an essential worker and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Results Of 435 respondents, 306 (70.3%) indicated that they planned to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Being an essential worker (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.37; 95% CI, 1.44-3.90) and male sex (aOR = 1.87; 95% CI, 1.12-3.12) were significantly associated with higher odds of intending to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Among respondents who intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, wanting to protect themselves (68.6%), family members (65.0%), and other people (54.3%) were the main reasons. Conclusion Many refugees who responded to the survey, especially those who worked in essential industries, intended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Community organizations, health care providers, and public health agencies should work together to ensure that vaccine registration and vaccination sites are accessible to refugees.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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