Understanding COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among K-12 Staff, Parents, and Students: District of Columbia, February to April, 2022.

OBJECTIVE:Despite widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, millions of Americans have not received the recommended vaccine doses. In the District of Columbia (DC), COVID-19 vaccination rates are lowest among residents who are Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and among school-aged children. We assessed COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among staff and parents of students in DC K-12 public and public charter schools. METHODS:We conducted a telephone-based survey from February 6 to April 16, 2022 to staff, students, and parents of students who participated in school-based COVID-19 screening testing. COVID-19-related survey items included: vaccination status, reasons for not getting vaccinated, perceived vaccine access, and trusted COVID-19 information sources. Utilizing time-to-event analyses, we evaluated differences across demographic groups. RESULTS:The interview response rate was 25.8% (308/1193). Most unvaccinated participants were NH Black and ages 5 to 11 years. Median time from vaccine eligibility to uptake was 236 days for NH Black participants vs. 10 days for NH White participants. Vaccine safety was the top concern among unvaccinated participants. Government and healthcare providers were the most trusted COVID-19 information sources. CONCLUSIONS:Differences in timing of vaccine uptake among respondents and greater vaccine hesitancy among NH Black participants compared to other racial/ethnic groups highlight a need for continued tailored outreach and communication using trusted sources to convey the importance, benefits, and safety of COVID-19 vaccination.