People who lack a doctor are less likely to get vaccinated

Having a relationship with a primary care doctor can have a tremendous impact on whether people choose to get vaccinated for COVID-19. 

A recent American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) survey revealed that 61.5% of people with an established relationship to a doctor intend to get vaccinated. By contrast, only 28.9% of people without a doctor plan to get vaccinated.

The survey underscores the impact that having a primary care doctor can have on your own health, as well as public health. 

Looking deeper at the data, the survey reinforces the essential role that family doctors have in prevention and education. When people don’t have a primary care doctor, their questions about vaccines go unanswered and misinformation spreads unchecked.

For generations of Americans, the family doctor has been a trusted source of advice and support. But today, close to 25% of Americans — more than 80 million people — lack a doctor. 

At HealthTap, our team of primary care doctors is standing by to help in our virtual clinic. We’re accepting new patients in all 50 U.S. states and are ready to partner with our patients, including answering questions about vaccines. 

 More about the survey

The survey was conducted in early March 2021 and included 2,232 people with demographic characteristics of America (though it was conducted only in English). Whereas vaccine hesitancy previously has been associated with Caucasian race and higher socio-economic standing, this survey documented that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, as measured by a stated lack of intent to vaccinate, was more associated with Black, Hispanic, and Pacific Islanders, and with lower socioeconomic status, younger age, and lesser education. Men were more likely to express intent to vaccinate (62.6%) compared to women (50.5%) and to individuals with non-binary identification (42.4%). 

The survey asked people if they had gained or lost confidence in the vaccine since the pandemic started. Although 29.3% stated they gained confidence, 20.8% indicated they had lost confidence.