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. 2021 Nov;148(5):e2021053813.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-053813. Epub 2021 Aug 27.

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among US Child Care Providers

Kavin M Patel  1 , Amyn A Malik  1   2 , Aiden Lee  3 , Madeline Klotz  4 , John Eric Humphries  5 , Thomas Murray  6 , David Wilkinson  3   4 , Mehr Shafiq  2   7 , Inci Yildirim  2   8   6 , Jad A Elharake  1   2 , Rachel Diaz  3 , Chin Reyes  4 , Saad B Omer  1   2   9   10 , Walter S Gilliam  11
Affiliations

COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among US Child Care Providers

Kavin M Patel et al. Pediatrics. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: Ensuring high coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine uptake among US child care providers is crucial to mitigating the public health implications of child-staff and staff-child transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; however, the vaccination rate among this group was previously unknown.

Methods: To characterize vaccine uptake among US child care providers, we conducted a multistate cross-sectional survey of the child care workforce. Providers were identified through various national databases and state registries. A link to the survey was sent via e-mail between May 26 and June 23, 2021. A 37.8% response yielded 21 663 respondents, with 20 013 satisfying inclusion criteria.

Results: Overall COVID-19 vaccine uptake among US child care providers (78.2%, 90% confidence interval: 77.5% to 78.9%) was higher than the US general adult population (65%). Vaccination rates varied between states from 53.5% to 89.4%. Vaccine uptake among respondents differed significantly (P < .01) based on respondent age (70.0% for ages 25-34, 91.6% for ages 75-84), race (70.0% for Black or African Americans, 92.5% for Asian Americans), annual household income (70.8% for <$35 000, 85.1% for >$75 000), and child care setting (73.0% for home-based, 79.7% for center-based).

Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccine uptake among US child care providers was higher than the general US adult population. Those who were younger, lower income, Black or African American, resided in states either in the Mountain West or the South, and/or worked in home-based child care programs reported the lowest rates of vaccination. State public health leaders and lawmakers should prioritize these subgroups to realize the largest gains in vaccine uptake among providers.

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Conflict of interest statement

POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among U.S. Child Care Providers by State.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Reasons for Nonvaccination Among U.S. Child Care Providers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Working parents are key to COVID-19 recovery. Brookings Institute 2021. 2021, at https://www.brookings.edu/research/working-parents-are-key-to-covid-19-r...).

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