Perceptions and barriers to the annual influenza vaccine as compared with the COVID-19 vaccine in an urban underserved population.

Cohrs, Janessa R.; Mirtallo, Jay M.; Seifert, Jennifer L.; Jones, Sarah M.; Erdmann, Ashley M.; Li, Junan

Background For a vaccine to be successful, communities must perceive it as important, safe, effective, and necessary. However, there are many barriers and hesitancies to vaccination. Underserved patient populations may face additional challenges related to access and cost. Since community pharmacists improve vaccine access and increase vaccination rates, it is beneficial for pharmacists to understand perceptions and barriers to vaccinations in their community to increase vaccine confidence. Objective(s): This study aims to assess and compare barriers and perceptions of the annual influenza to the COVID-19 vaccine for underserved patients of a charitable pharmacy. Methods Patients who qualified to receive medications from an outpatient charitable pharmacy took an electronic survey when receiving medications. The survey incorporated questions developed by the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccine Hesitancy on a 5-point Likert scale. Questions about the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines mirrored one another. Demographic data such as age, race, sex, and education level were also collected. Results Of the 189 patients surveyed at the charitable pharmacy, 71.7% were ages 55 and older and 58.9% were female. Of note, 78% and 77% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, respectively, were important for the health of others in their community. Side effects and the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine were noted to be significantly more of a concern with the COVID-19 vaccine when compared to the influenza vaccine (P<0.001). Conclusion(s): Ensuring equitable vaccine access, promoting the COVID-19 vaccine as free, and eliciting and addressing individual persons’ concerns related to vaccine safety and side effects are all important ways pharmacists as well as other healthcare providers and community stakeholders can help promote vaccine confidence within the populations they serve.