Survey of public’s priorities for COVID-19 vaccine allocation

Editor's Note

This survey by researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, between April 23 and 27, finds the public’s preferences for allocating a COVID-19 vaccine consistent with experts’ recommendations that offer vaccine priority to groups defined by age, risk of dying, and employment type.

Of 1,007 American adults surveyed:

• 91.6% said front-line healthcare workers should be rated high priority as vaccine recipients
• 81% rated high-risk children as high priority
• 80.6% rated high-risk seniors as high priority
• 75.2% rated high-risk middle-aged people as high priority
• 72% rated essential (nonmedical) workers as high priority
• 64% rated pregnant women high priority.

Because the public’s hesitancy toward vaccines is a concern, evidence-based communication on the importance of vaccination and the priority groups for receipt of a scarce vaccine is critically needed, the authors say.