Willingness to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccination Among Incarcerated or Detained Persons in Correctional and Detention Facilities - Four States, September-December 2020

• Published in: MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report 2021-04, Vol.70 (13), p.473-477
• Main Authors: Stern, Marc F, Piasecki, Alexandra M, Strick, Lara B, Rajeshwar, Poornima, Tyagi, Erika, Dolovich, Sharon, Patel, Priti R, Fukunaga, Rena, Furukawa, Nathan W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Conspiracy; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - administration & dosage; Detention of persons; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; Ethnicity; Female; Full Report; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Illnesses; Immunization; Imprisonment; Intervention; Interviews; Male; Middle Aged; Participation; Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology; Population; Prisoners; Prisoners - psychology; Prisoners - statistics & numerical data; Prisons; Public health; Quarantine; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States - epidemiology; Vaccination; Vaccination - psychology; Vaccines; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0149-2195; 1545-861X
• DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7013a3

Incarcerated and detained persons are at increased risk for acquiring COVID-19. However, little is known about their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. During September-December 2020, residents in three prisons and 13 jails in four states were surveyed regarding their willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination and their reasons for COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy or refusal. Among 5,110 participants, 2,294 (44.9%) said they would receive a COVID-19 vaccination, 498 (9.8%) said they would hesitate to receive it, and 2,318 (45.4%) said they would refuse to receive it. Willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccination was lowest among Black/African American (Black) (36.7%; 510 of 1,390) persons, participants aged 18-29 years (38.5%; 583 of 1,516), and those who lived in jails versus prisons (43.7%; 1,850 of 4,232). Common reasons reported for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were waiting for more information (54.8%) and efficacy or safety concerns (31.0%). The most common reason for COVID-19 vaccination refusal was distrust of health care, correctional, or government personnel or institutions (20.1%). Public health interventions to improve vaccine confidence and trust are needed to increase vaccination acceptance by incarcerated or detained persons.