COVID-19 Vaccination Behaviors, Sources of Information, and Beliefs among Nursing Home Administrators and Other Staff

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 159 - 170, 01.01.2024

Daniel Van Dussen Amy Weaver Rachel Ward Adaline Cooke

Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers is a major health issue. The study objective was to examine the vaccination behaviors, sources of information, and beliefs among a sample of nursing home administrators and other staff. The National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) provided their contact list of all 1,159 currently licensed nursing home administrators and assisted living administrators in the United States (US) for this study. A cross-sectional analysis of survey responses was collected in the spring of 2021, and data was analyzed from 1,004 completed surveys of US nursing home administrators and other staff. A subpopulation of long-term care staff who refuse to be vaccinated based on the perceived speed of vaccine development and rollout, among other health concerns. Respondents selected a variety of sources from where they retrieved information about the COVID-19 vaccine. Most respondents trust the COVID-19 vaccine (80.6%), believe that the vaccine is important (82.7%), and are confident in its effectiveness in decreasing the spread of COVID-19 (74.9%). There was a high percentage of respondents who reported getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the sample, 85.0% responded “yes” to receiving the vaccine (scheduled but not received, in progress, or completed). Healthcare workers need to use reputable sources to retrieve information about vaccines.

Keywords

COVID-19, Vaccine Hesitancy, Nursing Home Administrator, Vaccination, Sources of Information

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