Occupational Health Providers' Perceptions of Employee Vaccine Hesitancy.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy poses a significant challenge in occupational health settings.
• Understanding employee reasons for vaccine refusal is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary reasons for vaccine hesitancy among employees as perceived by occupational health providers (OHPs).
• To explore differences in reasons for hesitancy across COVID-19, influenza, and other workplace-relevant vaccines.

Main Methods:

• An anonymous, online, cross-sectional survey was administered to 217 US OHPs.
• OHPs reported on employee-cited reasons for vaccine unwillingness across three vaccine categories.

Main Results:

• Concerns regarding adverse effects were the most common reason for vaccine hesitancy across all vaccine types.
• Mistrust was cited more frequently for COVID-19 vaccines compared to influenza or other vaccines.
• Employee mistrust primarily targeted government and scientists, not healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

• Findings can inform targeted interventions to address vaccine hesitancy in occupational health.
• Addressing concerns about adverse effects and building trust are key strategies.