Alaska DHSS releases results from statewide COVID-19 vaccine survey

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services released results from a statewide COVID-19 vaccine survey Thursday.

A bulletin from the Section of Epidemiology noted, “As Alaska’s vaccination rate has slowed, public health and medical professionals seek to further understand motivations and barriers to vaccination, as well as the types of questions and concerns Alaskans have about COVID-19 vaccines.”

More than half of survey participants said they had already been vaccinated or had booked a COVID-19 vaccine appointment while other respondents said they would definitely not be getting vaccinated, but Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink said close to 25% identified themselves as hesitant but open to learning more.

“We’ve got at least 25% who are a movable group in that, so we’re excited to be able to meet that moveable group in the middle to be able to get forward,” Zink said during a media briefing via Zoom on Thursday.

The bulletin highlights findings from the survey about the people who fall into that so called “moveable group,” including their main reasons for not planning to get vaccinated, the most motivating factors for deciding to get vaccinated and their most trusted sources of information.

Family and friends are identified, by 72%, as the most trusted source for information about COVID-19 among people who are hesitant to get vaccinated but open to learning more, followed by private healthcare providers, selected by 61% of respondents in the group.

Less than half identified the CDC, elders/community leaders and DHSS as trusted sources, while fewer than 40% considered Gov. Mike Dunleavy, faith leaders, Zink, and employers as trusted sources of COVID-19 information.

The top two preferred options for daily media usage among the group were internet searches and Facebook.

The report can be viewed on the state DHSS website.

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