Survey: Majority of Pharmacists Are Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Most pharmacists who participated in the survey also said they were comfortable addressing vaccine hesitancy with their patients.

The majority of pharmacists who participated in a nationwide survey reported being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).1

According to the findings, 88% of respondents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 92% said they plan to or have already been vaccinated. 

The APhA has been conducting a series of surveys since September 2020 on pharmacist confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. This survey was conducted as part of “Vaccine Confident,” which is funded in part by a collaborative agreement with the CDC.

For the most recent survey, which was disseminated from May 1 to 8, 2021, 366 pharmacists from every region of the nation across a broad range of practice settings responded to questions about vaccine confidence. 

Moreover, 98% of pharmacists who responded to the survey noted they were comfortable addressing vaccine confidence and vaccine hesitancy concerns with their patients and other individuals.

A recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine offered communication strategies aimed to create an effective vaccine-promotion effort. Some of these tips included2:

  • preparing a list of common vaccine questions,
  • developing a list of effective responses,
  • practicing and training staff on effective responses,
  • adding incentives.

Read more about these communication tactics for promoting vaccines here.

References

  1. Vast majority of pharmacists surveyed are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. News Release. American Pharmacists Association; May 24, 2021. Accessed June 2, 2021. https://www.pharmacist.com/APhA-Press-Releases/vast-majority-of-pharmacists-surveyed-are-fully-vaccinated-against-covid-19
  2. Wood S, Schulman K. Beyond Politics –– Promoting Covid-19 Vaccination in the United States. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021; 384:e23. Doi: 1056/NEJMms2033790