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Apr 26, 2021 - Health

Vaccine hesitancy remains high among essential workers

headshot
A doctor gives a vaccination to a man who is sitting in a chair with his sleeve rolled up.

Eugenio Brito, Vice President of Bodegas of America receives a Pfizer vaccination shot at an event to announce five new walk-in pop-up vaccination sites for New York City Bodega, grocery store and supermarket workers amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Photo: by Mike Segar-Pool/Getty Images

Essential workers who are not in health care are less likely to want a vaccine than the rest of the general public, according to new figures from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Why it matters: As vaccines become more available, health officials are increasingly grappling with vaccine hesitancy, particularly among those most at risk.

Details: According to the KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, more than 20% of essential workers who don't work in health care settings say they will definitely not get the vaccine, compared to 7% of non-essential workers.

  • Nearly half (48%) of essential workers not in health care settings have either already gotten the vaccine or will get it as soon as possible. ]

Be smart: 22% said they'd get a vaccine if their job gave them $200. Nearly 20% said $50 would be enough to convince them, and another 23% would get the vaccine if their employer arranged for a medical provider to come to their work to administer the vaccine.

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