LAUSR

Introduction: With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (most recent) Omicron variant surge across the U.S, more research is needed to better understand how vaccination and booster uptake can be increased. COVID-19 vaccinations have proven to help decrease the likelihood of becoming seriously ill, hospitalized, or dying. Studies examining patient characteristics of individuals who received COVID-19 vaccinations are limited. This study examines the patient characteristics of Veterans who were vaccinated during the first 8 months (December 2020–July 2021) of the vaccination rollout at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Methods: Using VA administrative and clinical data, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine sociodemographic and health factors associated with the likelihood of receiving COVID-19 vaccination at the VA. Results: The analytic sample included 5,914,741 VA-users (49.7% vaccinated). Among the VA medical facilities nationwide, COVID-19 vaccination rates (≥1 dose) varied from 33.9% to 73.7%. Veterans who were non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan-Natives, younger, living in rural areas, male and unmarried, with VA health insurance only, with fewer chronic conditions, who did not receive the seasonal influenza vaccine, and not living in community living centers or nursing homes were less likely to get vaccinated. Conclusions: Understanding which groups of Veterans are less likely to be vaccinated allows the VA to develop targeted interventions to improve uptake in these groups. These results can also guide non-VA organizations to create evidence-based educational outreach programs that reduce vaccine hesitancy among Veterans that do not use VA.