ABSTRACT
Despite Latino Americans having been found to be disproportionally affected by COVID-19, they report higher hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than non-Hispanic whites. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence Puerto Rican's intentions to get the COVID-19 Vaccine. A sample (n = 173) of people who currently lived in Puerto Rico were recruited to complete an online, cross-sectional survey about their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Demographics and vaccine hesitancy were assessed, and logistic regressions explored relationships between variables and intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available. When controlling for covariates, 30-49-year-olds (aOR = 0.12) and those who had refused a vaccine in the past (aOR = 0.07) had lower odds of vaccine uptake than those between 18 and 29 years and who had not previously refused a vaccine, respectively. Those who had completed at least a 4-year college degree (aOR = 6.78) had greater odds of intending to get vaccinated than their counterparts. Health education campaigns about COVID-19 in Puerto Rico should be tailored to working-age adults who may mistrust information they have heard about the vaccine. Messages could be tailored to preferred communication channels to decrease vaccination hesitancy.
