Addressing hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccines in healthcare assistants

April 25, 2022

IMPACT members Joshua Niznik, PharmD, PhD, Laura Hanson MD, MPH, and Jill Harrison, PhD were among the authors of this article analyzing factors causing healthcare assistants to hesitate receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The article in Geriatric Nursing was available online April 25 and published in the May-June issue.

The article is from the Improved Vaccine Uptake in Skilled Nursing Facilities: IMPACT-C study, which was a supplement award to the IMPACT Collaboratory. Sarah Berry, MD, PhD, and Vince Mor, PhD, are co-principal investigators of IMPACT-C.

The article characterizes reasons that contribute to healthcare assistants’ vaccine hesitancy from December 2020 – January 2021. There were 8 overarching themes including safety concerns, efficacy, workplace requirements, societal influence, and compensation. The authors suggest that vaccination can be increased in healthcare assistants by addressing concerns regarding vaccine safety.