Survey Shows Americans Prefer a Health Care Provider Over a Mass Vaccination Event to Get COVID-19 Vaccines

A recent survey conducted by Public Policy Polling and released by the National Community Pharmacists Association showed that there is a significant preference among Americans to receive COVID-19 vaccines from a trusted health care provider, such as a pharmacist or physician.

The survey polled a total of 1390 adults between February 26 and 27. The results of the survey showed that 4 in 10 people would go to their local pharmacist as their first or second choice for COVID-19 vaccine administration. Additionally, only 4% of survey respondents said they would prefer to be vaccinated at a mass event, such as the mass immunization events taking place at sports stadiums or parking lots across the country.

“Pharmacies are being underutilized,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, MBA, pharmacist, in a press release. “Millions of Americans would prefer to get immunized by a local health care provider, like their pharmacist. Community pharmacies have the capacity and the ability to vaccinate many more people than they are currently able to because of the supply and pharmacy allocation issues.”

Of the adults surveyed, 26% responded that they have already been vaccinated with one of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, 41% said they will pursue COVID-19 vaccination as soon as they are eligible, whereas 25% said they do not plan to get vaccinated.

The latter population of vaccine-hesitant individuals have increasingly posed a challenge for health officials who are attempting to support broader vaccination goals in order to obtain herd immunity among the US population. Issues around vaccine hesitancy are also specifically an area that pharmacists are well-suited to help their local communities overcome.

“Nearly 40% of Americans are already getting vaccinated for the flu by their local pharmacist. Many Americans also rely on their pharmacist to treat minor ailments. The fact is that Americans trust their pharmacist,” Hoey said in the press release. “Pharmacists, because they are trusted, are in a much better position to counsel people who are reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccines.”

REFERENCE

National Survey Shows Americans Prefer a Local Health Care Provider Over a Mass Event to Get the COVID-19 Vaccines. Alexandria, VA: National Community Pharmacists Association; March 9, 2021. [email] Accessed March 9, 2021.