Prevalence of Previous COVID-19 Infection, COVID-19 Vaccination Receipt, and Intent to Vaccinate Among the US Workforce

Objective: As COVID-19 vaccines become more accessible to all people in the United States, more employees are returning to the workforce or switching to in-person work. However, limited information is available on vaccination coverage and intent among the US workforce. Methods: We used data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, fielded during April 14-May 24, 2021 (N = 218 787), to examine the prevalence of previous COVID-19 infection, vaccination receipt, and intent to vaccinate by essential worker status and employment type. In addition, we analyzed factors associated with vaccination receipt and reasons for not getting vaccinated. Results: More than 15% of the US workforce had a previous diagnosis of COVID-19, and 73.6% received >= 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine; however, 12.4% reported that they probably will not or definitely will not get vaccinated. Vaccination coverage (range, 63.8%-78.3%) was lowest and non-intent to get vaccinated (12.9%-21.7%) was highest among self-employed adults across all essential and nonessential worker groups. Factors associated with receipt of vaccination were age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, educational attainment, annual household income, health insurance status, and previous COVID-19 diagnosis. The main reasons for not getting vaccinated were concerns about possible side effects and waiting and seeing if the vaccine is safe. Conclusion: Identifying and addressing disparities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the US workforce can protect groups with low vaccine coverage and increase understanding of reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Educating employees about the vaccine and its potential side effects, promoting a culture of health and safety in the workplace, and building social norms around vaccination can help create a safe work environment for all employees and their families.

Automated summary

According to a survey conducted by the US Census Bureau, over 15% of the US workforce has had a previous COVID-19 infection, while 73.6% have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, 12.4% of the respondents reported that they are reluctant to get vaccinated. Self-employed individuals had the lowest vaccination coverage, and the highest proportion of vaccine hesitancy. Factors such as age, race, education, income, health insurance status, and previous COVID-19 diagnosis were associated with vaccination receipt. Concerns about possible side effects and waiting to see if the vaccine is safe were the main reasons for not getting vaccinated.