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. 2021 May 1;63(5):369-373.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002152.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among US Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alberto J Caban-Martinez  1 , Carlos A Silvera, Katerina M Santiago, Paola Louzado-Feliciano, Jefferey L Burgess, Denise L Smith, Sara Jahnke, Gavin P Horn, Judith M Graber
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COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among US Firefighters and Emergency Medical Services Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Alberto J Caban-Martinez et al. J Occup Environ Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: Estimate the point prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among US firefighters and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to administer an anonymous online survey to a national non-probabilistic sample of firefighter and EMS workers.

Results: Among the 3169 respondents, 48.2% expressed high acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, while 24.2% were unsure and 27.6% reported low acceptability. Using the "high COVID-19 vaccine acceptability" group as the reference category, the groups with greater odds of reporting low acceptability included those: 30 to 39 years of age (odds ratio = 3.62 [95% confidence interval = 2.00 to 6.55]), Black race (3.60 [1.12 to 11.53]), Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity (2.39 [1.45 to 3.92]), with some college education (2.06 [1.29 to 3.27]), married (1.65 [1.03 to 2.65]), of current rank firefighter/EMS (2.21 [1.60 to 3.08]).

Conclusions: Over half of US firefighters and EMS workers were uncertain or reported low acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Frequency of unsure, high, and low COVID-19 vaccine acceptability stratified by FEMA region among firefighters, paramedics, and emergency services technicians participating in the national Firefighter Acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine Timing Study (FACTS), October 2020 (N = 3169). FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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