According to a new study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, unvaccinated Latinos are two times more likely than Whites to want the COVID-19 vaccine. However, Latinos surveyed raised several concerns including having to pay for the vaccination and having to provide information about one’s immigration status, showing that there needs to be more information that highlights that vaccines are free and available to anyone regardless of legal status.
The Kaiser Family Foundation results show that 33% of all unvaccinated Latino adults said that they would like to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible which is twice the amount of unvaccinated White adults who want to get vaccinated (16%). However, 64% of unvaccinated Latino adults said that they’re concerned about missing work due to vaccine side effects and 52% of them worry that they may have to pay out of pocket for the vaccine.
Samantha Artiga, Director of the Racial Equity and Health Policy Program at the Kaiser Family Foundation stated, “While the vaccines are available to all adults regardless of their insurance or immigration status, many [Latino] adults who have been vaccinated say they were asked for their health insurance information or a government-issued ID. That can pose barriers for many, particularly those who are uninsured or are potentially undocumented immigrants.”
Forward Latino, a Wisconsin- based Latino advocacy Group, said in a statement that it “identified issues that could serve as barriers to individuals unable to attain a driver’s license or state ID, including many of our nation’s elderly, as well as immigrant and homeless populations.” It urged retailers and pharmacies “to address equity issues in their vaccination programs and to bring them into compliance with the CDC’s COVID-19 Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and guidance issued by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. The result will be more people getting vaccinated in a shorter period of time which benefits us all.”
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