Direct Support Professionals and COVID-19 Vaccination: A Comparison of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Direct Support Professionals

Share this page

Reprint permission request

Author(s)
Sandra L Pettingell, Julie Bershadsky, Amy S Hewitt, Lynda Lahti Anderson, Alicia Z DePuy
Web
Cost:
$25.00 each
Pages:
15

Description

Direct support professionals (DSPs) may be at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the proximal nature of their work. In response to the pandemic a three-wave study was launched to understand experiences of DSPs. An on-line national survey found that 70% of DSPs were vaccinated. Vaccinated DSPs were older and had higher education levels. Among the unvaccinated, 56% reported concerns about COVID-19 vaccination safety. Unvaccinated DSPs were more likely to report that the people they supported were also unvaccinated. Encouraging DSPs to get vaccinated to protect the people they support is essential. Paid time off, arranging for vaccinations, and setting an expectation for vaccination may encourage vaccination uptake among DSPs.

Suggested Citation

Pettingell, S. L., Bershadsky, J., Hewitt, A., Anderson, L. L., & Zhang, A. (2023). Direct Support Professionals and COVID-19 Vaccination: A Comparison of Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Direct Support Professionals. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 61(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-61.1.1

Details

Date
2023 
Type
Peer-Reviewed Article 
Publisher
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Topics

  • Direct support workforce
    • Human resources and management
  • Health and safety
    • Emergency/disaster preparedness