Democracy Dies in Darkness
Economic Policy

America’s failure to pay workers time off undermines vaccine campaign, according to surveys, policy experts

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August 18, 2021 at 12:51 p.m. EDT
A health-care worker speaks with a visitor before administering a dose of a coronavirus vaccine at a pop-up location inside the Louisville Zoo on Aug. 6. Vaccination rates across Kentucky’s 120 counties vary from as low as 21 percent to as high as 61 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Jon Cherry/Bloomberg News)
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As federal policymakers search for ways to boost America’s vaccination rates, a lack of paid sick leave is playing a role in deterring low-wage workers from taking time off to get vaccinated, according to surveys and policy experts.

The shortcomings are playing an underreported role in vaccine hesitancy in the country, particularly among lower-income populations. Workers who do not get paid time off to get the shot or deal with potential side effects are less likely to get the vaccine, research by a Kaiser Family Foundation study shows.