COVID-19 Vaccine Willingness and Hesitancy Among Marshallese Pacific Islanders

COVID-19 has disproportionally burdened racial and ethnic minorities. Minority populations report greater COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy; however, no studies document COVID-19 vaccine willingness among Marshallese or any Pacific Islander group, who are often underrepresented in research. This study docu...

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Main Authors: Pearl A. McElfish PhD, MBA, Don E. Willis PhD, Cari Bogulski PhD, Meetu Kelen BDS, Sheldon Riklon MD, Eldon Alik BS, Melisa Laelan BS, April L. Brown PhD, Ka’imi A. Sinclair PhD, Jennifer A. Andersen PhD, Benjamin C. Amick PhD, Mark Williams PhD
Format: article
Language:EN
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021
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Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/15bb455b1b204e17b06814324a747fdb
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Summary:COVID-19 has disproportionally burdened racial and ethnic minorities. Minority populations report greater COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy; however, no studies document COVID-19 vaccine willingness among Marshallese or any Pacific Islander group, who are often underrepresented in research. This study documents United States (US) Marshallese Pacific Islanders’: willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine, willingness to participate in vaccine trials, and sociodemographic factors associated with willingness. From July 27, 2020-November 22, 2020, a convenience sample of US Marshallese adults were recruited through e-mail, phone calls, and a Marshallese community Facebook page to participate in an online survey. Of those surveyed (n = 120), 32.5% were extremely likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine; 20.8% were somewhat likely; 14.2% were unlikely or very unlikely; and 26.7% stated they did not know or were not sure. Only 16.7% stated they were willing to participate in a COVID-19 vaccine trial. Vaccine willingness was positively associated with older age, higher income, and longer US residence. Health insurance status and having a primary care provider were positively associated with vaccine willingness. Findings demonstrate within-group variation in COVID-19 vaccine willingness.