Deschutes County survey finds more residents plan to get COVID-19 vaccines

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A county-wide phone survey on COVID-19 vaccines found that a growing number of Deschutes County residents plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine, officials said Wednesday.

The survey was conducted to inform the county’s communication strategies and vaccine clinics, they said.

Statistically valid survey responses were collected from a random sample of 390 respondents representative of the Deschutes County population who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The survey asked about intention to receive the vaccine, potential barriers and concerns.

At the time of the survey, nearly 30% of Deschutes County adults had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The survey was conducted from March 3-10 and found that:

• Residents are more likely to plan to get vaccinated now than they were in December. 60% of respondents said they were very or somewhat likely to intend to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them, up from 55% in December.
• Nearly 30% of respondents reported that they were more likely to plan to get vaccinated now than they were three months ago. When asked why they now plan to get the vaccine, the most common reasons were ease and availability of vaccinations and seeing people they know being vaccinated.
• Among those who do not plan to be vaccinated, the most commonly reported concern was unknown long-term effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.
• Online scheduling may be a barrier, particularly for older adult and Hispanic/Latinx respondents.
• Nearly 90% of respondents are likely to continue prevention methods, like wearing a mask when in public, once they are fully vaccinated.

“These results are helpful as public health works to meet the needs of our communities and address concerns,” said Nahad Sadr-Azodi, Deschutes County Health Services public health director. “We know that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective and safe, and it’s critical that we work to assure that residents feel confident in their decision to be vaccinated and make the process as easy as possible.”

Staff plan to use survey findings to address the needs of Deschutes County residents and improve vaccine offerings and communications.