Occupational
Drivers of Annual Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake among NYC Transit Workers Michael Cziner* Michael Cziner Daniel Hagen David Vlahov Alexis Merdjanoff Robyn Gershon
Background: Transit workers were essential workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and at elevated risk for infection. Updated COVID-19 vaccines provided annually may reduce the burden of disease in this workforce. Therefore, this study sought to examine attitudes of New York City (NYC) transit workers towards receiving annual COVID-19 vaccines.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey of New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers was conducted between December 2023 and January 2024. Demographic and occupational characteristics, physical and mental health status, and attitudes towards pandemic working conditions were assessed. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with intent to receive annual COVID-19 vaccines.
Results: Among n=1,362 respondents, 90% reported having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 27% indicated intent to get an annual COVID-19 vaccine. In models adjusted for demographic, occupational, health, and psychosocial characteristics, intent to receive an annual vaccine was positively associated with male (vs. female) gender (OR=1.65, 95%CI: 1.07,2.57) and Hispanic (vs. non-Hispanic) ethnicity (OR=3.07, 95%CI: 1.98,4.81), and negatively associated with Black/African American as compared to White race (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.30,0.73). Moreover, intent to get an annual vaccine was negatively associated with workers’ impression that their employer was not ready for the next pandemic (OR=0.30, 95%CI: 0.19,0.46) and with a history of prior COVID-19 infection (OR=0.48, 95%CI: 0.29,0.77), and positively associated with having known someone who died from COVID-19 (OR=2.43, 95%CI: 1.57,3.80) and worrying about new infectious diseases (OR=9.03, 95%CI: 5.43,15.41).
Conclusion: Intent to get an annual COVID-19 vaccine appears to be low in NYC transit workers, especially among female and Black/African American workers. Understanding these drivers may help to improve future vaccination campaigns in this workforce.