71% OF SURVEYED DOMESTIC WORKERS REPORT HAVING RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE COVID-19 VACCINE DOSE
8 in 10 unvaccinated domestic workers intend to receive the vaccine; 2 in 10 do not know how to schedule an appointment.
Domestic Workers COVID-19 Vaccine Access Update · May 2021
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA Labs
Released: June 7, 2021
Domestic workers are the nannies, homecare workers and house cleaners whose work is essential to our economy, and yet they are one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups of workers. Even before COVID-19, domestic workers earned less than the average US worker, and were three times as likely to be living in poverty. 1
La Alianza survey data of Spanish-speaking domestic workers shows how the pandemic has amplified the vulnerability of this workforce, who continue to face low wages, and high levels of unemployment and underemployment.
Since January 2021 NDWA Labs has regularly surveyed domestic workers regarding their access to the vaccine to prevent COVID-19 and their intent to receive the vaccine. We want to know if domestic workers who are eligible and willing to get vaccinated have access, and what barriers they face. This report shares findings from more than 1,300 respondents in late-May.
Vaccination Rate and Intent for U.S. Domestic Workers
We estimate that, as of May 31, 71% of surveyed domestic workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This is more than twice the share of vaccinated respondents when compared to our last update on April 4, when the share was 34%.
This rate is higher compared to the U.S. population of 18+ years of age, which was 63% as of June 2, according to the CDC.2 In all of our previous updates, the vaccination rate for domestic worker respondents had been lower compared to the U.S. population of 18+ years of age. This may reflect a higher vaccination intent from domestic worker respondents and Latinxs adults compared to the general population.3
Most surveyed domestic workers who remain unvaccinated intend to get the vaccine. 79% of respondents said they would definitely(30%)/probably(49%) get the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available to them on the day they responded to the survey.
30% of domestic worker respondents who intend to get the vaccine have tried to schedule an appointment, while 20% said they do not know how to schedule one.
Less than half (44%) of unvaccinated respondents who have tried to schedule an appointment were successful.
Of the minority who probably (18%) / definitely (3%) would NOT get the vaccine, most cite possible side effects and wanting to know more about how well the vaccines work as the most important reasons to make their decision. We asked domestic workers how important or unimportant the following reasons were to them when deciding about the vaccine.4
"Possible side effects" - 59% of respondents said this was a very important reason, while 30% said it was somewhat important, and 11% said it was not important.
"I want to know more about how well they work" - 57% of respondents said this was a very important reason, 29% said it was somewhat important, and 14% said it was not important.
"I don't think I need it" - 33% of respondents said this was a very important reason, 44% said it was somewhat important, and 24% said it was not important.
Vaccination Mode for Domestic Workers
A vaccination center was the most common (41%) place where workers got vaccinated. 27% got their vaccines in a hospital or clinic, 21% got vaccinated in a pharmacy, and 11% selected the option “Other”.
Scheduling their vaccine appointments by phone was the most frequent method for domestic workers:
35% scheduled by phone
22% got help from someone for scheduling
21% scheduled online
16% went to get a vaccine without an appointment
5% selected the option “Other”
Of those who got help with scheduling,
52% got help from a family member
13% got help from an employer
12% were helped by their hospital or clinic
11% were helped by an organization
And 12% selected the option “Other”
Vaccination as a Condition for Employment
59% of respondents have been asked by their employers or potential employers if they have the COVID-19 vaccine. 49% of them said the vaccine was a condition for employment, while 21% didn’t know if it was a condition for employment.
About the surveys
La Alianza surveys Spanish-speaking domestic workers each week, via a Messenger chatbot. The total number of respondents who fully completed the most recent vaccine survey in late-May was 1,386. Data about vaccine hesitancy is based on 101 responses with data collected between April 30 - May 3. At the end of each survey, La Alianza provides respondents each week with relevant news articles and resources in Spanish. At the end of this survey, we shared a link to the Spanish version of the CDC’s Vaccine Finder where workers can locate vaccine providers near them. To learn more about the La Alianza survey of Spanish-speaking domestic workers see our recent report.
La Alianza is a product of NDWA Labs, the innovation partner of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. NDWA Labs experiments with the ways technology can organize domestic workers and transform domestic work jobs into good jobs by bringing respect, living wages, and benefits to an undervalued and vulnerable part of the economy.
For questions, please contact us here.
Notes
Economic Policy Institute (2019), Domestic Workers Chartbook
CDC COVID Data Tracker, COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States. (data updated as of Jun 02 2021 6:00 am ET) https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations
A recent KFF survey found that Hispanics adults are about twice as likely as White adults to say they want to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. As of May 31, 79% of domestic worker respondents who remain unvaccinated said they would definitely/probably get the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available to them. This is higher than the 69% vaccination intent--including vaccinated individuals-- among the general population, according to Pew Research.
This update about hesitancy is based on 101 responses collected in late April. The rest of the report presents data from more than 1,300 completed surveys in late May.