Abstract
To determine the extent of gaps in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine coverage among those in the United States with and without previous COVID-19 diagnoses, we used July 21–August 2, 2021, data from a large, nationally representative survey (Household Pulse Survey). We analyzed vaccine receipt (≥1 dose and full vaccination) and intention to be vaccinated for 63,266 persons. Vaccination receipt was lower among those who had a prior diagnosis of COVID-19 compared to those without: >1 dose: 73% and 85%, respectively, p<0.001; full vaccination: 69% and 82%, respectively, p<0.001). Reluctance to be vaccinated was higher among those with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis (14%) than among those without (9%). These findings suggest the need to focus educational and confidence-building interventions on adults when they receive a COVID-19 diagnosis, during clinic visits, or at the time of discharge if hospitalized and to better educate the public about the value of being vaccinated, regardless of previous COVID-19 status.
Highlights
To determine the extent of gaps in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine coverage among those in the United States with and without previous COVID-19 diagnoses, we used data from a large, nationally representative survey conducted during July 21–August 2, 2021
Vaccination protects persons who have not been previously infected and provides a strong boost in protection for those who have recovered from COVID-19 [10]; a growing body of evidence demonstrates added protection against reinfection for persons who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 when they have a higher titer of antibodies resulting from vaccination [15]
Survey Design To help elucidate household experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined data from the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), a large, nationally representative household survey that has been conducted by the US Census Bureau since April 2020 [16]
Summary
To determine the extent of gaps in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine coverage among those in the United States with and without previous COVID-19 diagnoses, we used data from a large, nationally representative survey conducted during July 21–August 2, 2021. CDC recommends that persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 still get the vaccine [10] This recommendation reflects the knowledge that the rate of reinfection among persons with previous COVID-19 illness is very low [11–13], natural immunity from infection may not provide a sufficient level of protection, among the elderly [14]. Persons who have had COVID-19 can still become severely ill if reinfected, and even those who were initially asymptomatic can have ongoing health problems several weeks or even longer after getting reinfected (long haulers) [10] Those who were previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and became infected again can still transmit the infection to others [10]. It is vital that all persons be fully vaccinated, regardless of infection history Without achieving this level of vaccination coverage, COVID-19 spikes and clusters will probably re-emerge in areas with low vaccination levels. Knowing the extent of gaps in vaccination coverage among those with and without a history of COVID-19, as well as reasons for these gaps, is necessary for designing and targeting effective interventions to improve vaccine uptake at the population level
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