Emergency Department Patients' COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Self-Reported Barriers

Bethany Harvey, Kyle Kelleran, Heidi Suffoletto, Changxing Ma, Nan Nan, Michelle Penque, E. Brooke Lerner
2022 Western Journal of Emergency Medicine  
This study surveyed adult emergency department (ED) patients and the adult companions of pediatric patients to determine whether rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination were comparable to that of the general population in the region. This study also sought to identify self-reported barriers to vaccination and possible areas for intervention. Methods: A survey was administered to 607 adult ED patients or the adult companions of pediatric patients from three different regional
more » ... pitals to assess their COVID-19 vaccination status, COVID-19 vaccine barriers, and demographic information. Results: Of the 2,267 adult patients/companions considered for enrollment, we approached 730 individuals about participating in the study. Of the individuals approached, 607 (41% male; mean age 47.0+17.4 years) consented to participate. A total of 403 (66.4%) participants had received at least one vaccine dose as compared to 70% of the adult population in the county where the three hospitals were located. Of those, 382 (94.8%) were fully vaccinated and among the individuals who were partially vaccinated the majority (17 of 21) had an appointment for their second dose. Of those approached, 204 (33.6%) were not vaccinated, with 66 (10.9% of the total population) expressing an interest in becoming vaccinated while the remaining 138 did not want to be vaccinated. Of those who wanted to be vaccinated 32% were waiting for more safety data, and of those who did not want to be vaccinated 26% were concerned about side effects and risks and 28% were waiting for more safety data. Conclusion: Adult ED patients and adult companions of pediatric ED patients were vaccinated at a slightly lower rate than the general population in our county. A small but significant proportion of those who were unvaccinated expressed the desire to be vaccinated, indicating that the ED may be a suitable location to introduce a COVID-19 vaccination program.
doi:10.5811/westjem.2022.1.54615 pmid:35679496 fatcat:gn5odmcbyfbhngoyx3lht2njee