Nearly half of U.S. primary care health workers have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll.
The report, published Friday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that only 52 percent of health workers received at least one dose of vaccine, even though they were among the first to qualify for the treatment in most communities.
Only 64 percent of those surveyed said they have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and 48 percent have not yet received the shot.
According to the poll, conducted in conjunction with the Washington Post, it cited health professionals who expressed a wide variety of opinions about the vaccine, similar to those of the general public.
“I would quit if work told me to take it,” said a response quoted in the survey.
“It’s the only way to get to the end of the pandemic,” said another.
The survey included interviews with 1,327 primary care health professionals conducted in both English and Spanish from February 11 to March 7. Primary health care workers were defined in the survey as those who have direct contact with patients or bodily fluids.