34% of nurses will take COVID-19 vaccine, 31% undecided, survey says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- If it gets the go ahead, Pfizer could be shipping out its vaccine as early as next week.
Officials say healthcare workers are expected to get some of the first doses.
"Most groups that have been working on this, starting with the National Academy of Medicine, are recommending that the first tier of vaccinations should be very frontline healthcare workers, people that actually take care of patients with COVID-19," said UTHealth and Memorial Hermann infectious disease specialist Dr. Luis Ostrosky.
While many are eager to get the vaccine, not everyone is on board.
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A recent survey of almost 13,000 nurses found that when asked if they would voluntarily be vaccinated against COVID-19, 34% said yes while 36% said no. The remaining 31% wasn't sure what they would do.
"We do have some education that needs to take place with nurses. I too have had some similar conversations with nurses across the state. Many are anxious and ready to jump in and be the first ones in line to receive the vaccine, and others are hesitant. They want to wait and see," said the director of practice for Texas Nurses Association Serena Bumpus.
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Bumpus said some of the concern comes with how quickly the vaccine process has been.
"I still think it causes a bit of angst, I think, amongst some individuals which is causing them to sort of take a step back and wait," said Bumpus.
She added that it's important to note the scientific advancements we've made, and to ensure that nurses are educated about the vaccine from credible sources.
"I would like to see as many of our frontline healthcare workers get vaccinated because they do need to be protected to the highest extent, and this is definitely going to help us get them there," she said.
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Doctors agree and say it's important for all of us to get the vaccine. It could help us get close to returning back to normal.
"The more people we vaccinate, the more we will be able to suppress the spread of COVID-19, and the more quickly we can return to life as we would love to enjoy it again," said executive vice president and chief physicians executive at Memorial Hermann Dr. James McCarthy.
