An assessment of Correctional Officers' health beliefs in relationship to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy.

OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, incarcerated populations faced heightened risk of exposure due to healthcare barriers, restrictive environments, and pre-existing health conditions. Consequently, Correctional Officers (COs) faced increased risk of COVID-19 exposure. Given the health benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and the rise in vaccine hesitancy, this study aims to examine the relationship between COs health beliefs and COVID-19 vaccine uptake. METHODS: A health beliefs survey was administered to Massachusetts-based COs (n=118). Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) modeling and logistic regression were utilized to analyze the survey data. RESULTS: COs with higher trust in vaccines and a prior positive COVID-19 test were most likely to get vaccinated voluntarily. Those with low trust in vaccines and no previous positive COVID-19 test were least likely to receive the vaccine. CONCLUSION: Despite the severe impact of COVID-19 in correctional settings, and the evidence of vaccine efficacy against hospitalization and death, vaccine uptake among COs remains low.