Advice from a healthcare provider makes a difference in who gets vaccinated and who doesn’t, new evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals.
According to analysis of data from a nationally representative mobile phone survey, adults who reported that a clinician recommended they receive a COVID-19 vaccination were more likely to receive at least one dose than those who did not receive a recommendation.
These survey respondents also were more often concerned about COVID-19, more likely to have confidence that available vaccines are safe, and to perceive that their family and friends had been vaccinated, according to James A. Singleton, Ph.D., of the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force
Reports of providers advocating for COVID-19 vaccination remained under 50%, however. This is similar to the low frequency with which clinicians are reported to recommend influenza vaccinations, the researchers said. But more clinicians appear to be advising their adult patients to get COVID-19 shots over time, with reports of provider recommendations rising from 35% in the spring of 2021 to 41% in September.
“A healthcare provider recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines at every visit could increase coverage and confidence in vaccines,” investigators wrote. This action could be most consequential among groups with lower COVID-19 vaccination coverage, including racial and/or ethnic minorities, rural residents and younger adults, they concluded.
Full findings were published on Dec. 17 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
