OBJECTIVES Value of vaccination analyses often use assumptions or dated estimates from published literature for work loss associated with vaccine administration. This study evaluates work loss among adults recently vaccinated in pharmacies or healthcare professional (HCP) offices in the United States (US).
METHODS Between September-November 2023, a cross-sectional, web-based survey was administered to US adults who received ≥1 vaccination within the past 3 weeks. Questions included whether paid/unpaid time off work or time away from other unpaid productive activities (e.g., caregiving, household activities) was needed to get vaccinated. The survey targeted adults recently vaccinated in pharmacies (n≥600) or HCP offices (n≥300) and included ≥300 adults in each of 3 subgroups by age (18-49, 50-64, and ≥65 years).
RESULTS The survey included 938 respondents, with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 56 (15) years. A total of 54.4% of respondents were employed (n=510/938), including 18.6% of respondents aged ≥65 years (n=59/318). At the most recent vaccination visit, 31.7% (n=297/938) reported receiving 2 vaccinations and 4.1% (n=38/938) reported receiving 3 vaccinations. Vaccine coadministration was more commonly reported in pharmacies (43.2% [n=267/618] versus 21.3% [n=68/320] in HCP offices). Only 8.1% of respondents (n=76/938) reported needing to take paid/unpaid time off work to get vaccinated, ranging from 5.5% of respondents vaccinated in pharmacies (n=34/618) to 13.1% of respondents vaccinated in HCP offices (n=42/320). Percentages of respondents taking paid/unpaid time off work to get vaccinated decreased by age (18-49 years: 14.9% [n=47/316]; 50-64 years: 7.2% [n=22/30]; ≥65 years: 2.2% [n=7/318]). A total of 21.0% of respondents (n=197/938) reported taking time away from other unpaid productive activities to get vaccinated.
CONCLUSIONS Adult vaccinations were associated with limited paid/unpaid time off work or time away from other productive activities, which has important implications for economic analyses on the value of vaccines.
