National Survey Finds People of Color Struggle Amidst Work, Family Duties to Get Vaccinated

57% of unvaccinated said no one discussed getting vaccinated with them

As vaccination rates against COVID-19 steadily climb across the country, an alarmingly high percentage of people of color are unable to get vaccinated because of job restrictions or family obligations, according to a nationwide poll released today by Made to Save.

Forty-eight percent of unvaccinated respondents said their jobs did not allow time off to get vaccinated or their childcare responsibilities made it difficult to leave home. 

“Ever since the pandemic began, it has taken an unequal toll on communities of color, something made worse by the fact so many workers were unable to get paid time off to get vaccinated,” said Chris Wyant, executive director of the Made to Save Campaign. “While the new federal vaccine requirements for workplaces will go a long way to protect workers of color, there is so much more their employers can do to make it easier for them to get vaccinated.” 

The survey also revealed that 57 percent of people who are unvaccinated had not been approached by a friend or family member to encourage them to get a shot. This presents an opportunity, as such conversations were reported to be effective by 30 percent of respondents who are vaccinated. 

Other notable survey findings include:

• An individual’s doctor is the most trusted source of information about the vaccines (75 percent);
• As a protective measure, 52 percent report wearing a mask most of the the time outside their homes, and 43 percent limit their time at indoor settings like grocery stores; and
• The most commonly cited reason for not being vaccinated was a lack of data (32 percent), followed by waiting for FDA full approval (24 percent) and it was not required by an employer (18 percent). The FDA fully approved Pfizer’s vaccine on Aug. 23, a week after the poll ended.

Made to Save commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of 1,505 adults from Aug. 2-16, which had a 3.4 percent margin of error. Respondents self-reported their race or ethnicity, of which 42 percent identified as Black and 29 percent as Latino. For complete poll results, click here.

ABOUT MADE TO SAVE

Made to Save is a national public education campaign rooted in grassroots organizing. Our goal is to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccines and increase access in communities who have been hit the hardest by this pandemic. Learn more at www.made2save.wpengine.com.