One in three seniors thinks they have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine. That is one of the surprising findings from a new survey conducted by healthcare consultant Avalere Health and healthy solutions company Tivity Health.
“We have to continue to engage with community groups and key leaders to drive widespread uptake,” said Avalere senior adviser Leana Wen, M.D., during a webinar held Thursday.
The companies surveyed 4,500 seniors nationwide in February to assess their attitudes about the vaccine and identify barriers to adoption. It was a follow-up to a similar poll conducted last November. There was encouraging news from the more recent study: 81% of respondents said they were confident the vaccine is safe, while only 5% of respondents said they would not get the vaccine — down from 15% in November.
Still, the data identified continued barriers to getting the vaccine into the arms of seniors. In rural areas, the largest hurdles appear to be transportation and online registration.
“If you want to use Walgreens or CVS, you jump online and drive over. That’s great in a suburban environment. That doesn’t make sense in rural areas. You have to figure out how to get into communities — get into homes,” said Tivity Health President and CEO Richard Ashworth.
Both Ashworth and Wen said ensuring seniors get vaccinated will require consistent messaging from community members they trust: physicians, clergy, senior center leaders and even family members.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus pandemic exactly one year ago Thursday. To date, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of nearly 530,000 Americans — 80% have been over the age of 65, according to the CDC.
So far, the CDC estimates about 32% of people 65 and older have been fully vaccinated in the U.S. That number should expand as the vaccine becomes more widely available. Wen said booster vaccinations may be required down the road if new variants of the virus continue to develop.
