Few Unvaccinated Adults Have Talked to Their Doctors About the COVID-19 Vaccines

Despite more than half of U.S. adults have received a COVID-19 vaccine, many adults remain skeptical of the vaccines’ benefits and are concerned about their risks.

The Issue

Few unvaccinated adults admitted to obtaining information about the vaccines from their respective health care providers as of April 2021. Health care providers are in pole position to address these concerns and potentially help increase vaccine uptake.

Key Findings

Researchers focused on adults who reported they were eligible for a vaccine, but they had not tried to get one.

• Among nonelderly adults reporting they were eligible but had not tried to get vaccinated, two-thirds have a personal doctor or health provider. Nearly 73 percent of these adults trust their providers for information about the vaccines, but only one in five (19%) have obtained such information from their providers.
• The most common reasons for not trying to get vaccinated are concern about long-term side effects, concern the vaccines were developed too quickly or not tested enough, and wanting to know more about how well the vaccines protect people from COVID-19.
• About half of adults who reported being eligible but not trying to get vaccinated trust other doctors and providers in the community (56%), family and friends (53%), and pharmacists (49%), for vaccine information. Smaller shares trust other community sources, such as religious leaders, elected officials, and social service, neighborhood or civic organizations.

Conclusion

To increase vaccination rates and reduce racial and ethnic gaps in COVID-19 vaccine uptake, trusted community resources, such as pharmacists, faith leaders, and local organizations, can help reach adults disconnected from the health care system and slow the transmission of the virus.

About the Urban Institute

The nonprofit Urban Institute is dedicated to elevating the debate on social and economic policy. For nearly five decades, Urban scholars have conducted research and offered evidence-based solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities across a rapidly urbanizing world. Their objective research helps expand opportunities for all, reduce hardship among the most vulnerable, and strengthen the effectiveness of the public sector. Visit the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center for more information specific to its staff and its recent research.