COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Deployed Personnel in a Joint Environment

In the United States, vaccine hesitancy has been identified as a major barrier to vaccination against COVID-19, but attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among military personnel are not well understood. We evaluated the prevalence and correlates of COVID-19 vaccine consent or refusal among deployed personnel in a joint environment.

Deidentified data were retrospectively extracted from the electronic medical record of the Military Health System in May 2021. All personnel currently assigned to the deployment area of operations were included in the analysis if their choice to receive the vaccine was known. Personnel characteristics were compared by vaccine acceptance status using chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, or correlation coefficients. This analysis was exempted from Institutional Review Board review.

The sample included 1,809 individuals, primarily members of the Army (72%) and members of Reserve (53%) or National Guard (27%) units. In the overall sample, 61% accepted the vaccine, with vaccine acceptance rates being lowest among Black or African American personnel (54%; P = .03 for comparison across racial groups) and members of Reserve or National Guard units (59%; P < .001 for comparison by component). No differences in vaccine acceptance were found according to sex or health status (including prior COVID-19 infection).

Overall vaccine acceptance was greater among deployed military personnel than that reported in the U.S. population as a whole. However, lower vaccine acceptance among personnel from marginalized populations suggests a need to ensure that all service members have sufficient opportunities to have a frank and ongoing discussion with health care providers to address concerns related to vaccination. Additionally, lower vaccine acceptance among Reserve and National Guard personnel indicates a need for innovative educational approaches to counter vaccine hesitancy in the premobilization phase of deployment.