Document Type

Capstone Experience

Graduation Date

8-2022

Degree Name

Master of Public Health

Department

Epidemiology

First Committee Member

DR. FARAZI, PARASKEVI A.

Second Committee Member

DR. BRET-MAJOR, DAVID

Third Committee Member

DR. YU, FANG

Abstract

The pandemic caused by SARSCOV2 that began in late 2019 posed a significant public health challenge for communities worldwide. The pandemic negatively impacted people's health, economy, and living conditions. Pharmaceutical companies worldwide have begun a race against time to invest in vaccine development to control and eliminate the worst outcomes of the COVID 19 associated disease. Scientific research resulted in several effective vaccines being developed and authorized for use in people (Salmeron Ríos S et al.).

Public health agencies like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prioritized high-risk populations for vaccination. This process is meant to accomplish the equitable distribution of the vaccine to different demographics of the population (Hatton C, Bailey T, et al.). The CDC considered people living in an institutionalized setting at high risk for covid 19 infection; therefore, those populations have been prioritized for the SARS COV2 vaccine. Many disabled individuals not living in large group housing have been excluded from those priorities. Disabled folks are affected by COVID 19 infections in a significantly higher proportion than the general population. The cases of COVID 19 disease among disabled people have a higher likelihood of suffering from severe outcomes compared to the general population. (Yoon WH et al.).

This research aims to study factors that affect SARS COV2 vaccination in the disabled population. It evaluated if there is a disparity in COVID 19 vaccinations among the disabled population in the United States. Furthermore, the study assessed and compared attitudes toward vaccines by disabled people and the general population. The study used data from household pulse surveys collected by the United States Census Bureau as part of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) to conduct surveys on the effect of the pandemic on the general population.

The proportion of vaccinated individuals with memory limitations was lower than the proportion of vaccination for individuals with other functional limitations. Moreover, income, educational attainment, marital status, household size, mental health services, health insurance status, age and race are variables that impact the population’s vaccination proportion. Also, disabled people are less likely than none disabled to be vaccine hesitant. If they do, they are more likely to reject the vaccine for concern about side effects and lack of trust in authority or the vaccine.

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