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Vaccine Hesitancy and Older Hispanic Adults: Truths and Myths about the COVID-19 Vaccine
MHP Salud | Published April 2021
Older adults have been identified as a group that should receive vaccines as soon as possible. As has been widely reported in the media, the risk of death and severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age. In fact, older adults are more likely to experience severe illness from the disease, and roughly 8 out of every 10 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. occur among this age group.
Hispanic older adults often live in multi-generational homes and receive care from younger family members. They spend significant time with family members who work or go to school outside the home, which further increases their risk of exposure to COVID-19. This population also has higher rates of certain health conditions, like diabetes, which increases the risk for severe illness. Delayed vaccination or medical treatment among this population could have severe consequences.
Misinformation surrounding the vaccine may delay Hispanics from receiving the vaccine in a timely manner. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, at the end of 2020 about 29% of Hispanic adults were hesitant about the administration of the vaccine. Four out of 10 Hispanics indicated they would wait and see the outcome on others before getting vaccinated themselves. This number may be even higher among older adults.