73% OF DOMESTIC WORKERS REPORT HAVING RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE COVID-19 VACCINE DOSE
Unvaccinated domestic workers lack time off work to get vaccinated and to recover from possible side effects.
Domestic Workers COVID-19 Vaccine Access Update · June 2021
Source: La Alianza surveys, NDWA Labs
Released: June 23, 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 mid-June.
Vaccination Rate and Intent for U.S. Domestic Workers
We estimate that, as of June 14, 73% of surveyed domestic workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
This rate is higher compared to the U.S. population of 18+ years of age, which was 65.4% as of June 20, according to the CDC.2 This may reflect a higher vaccination intent from domestic worker respondents and Latinx adults compared to the general population.3
Nearly 6 in 10 vaccinated respondents (59%) said their children ages 12-18 had been vaccinated. 39% of vaccinated respondents said their children had not been vaccinated yet, and 2% said their children would NOT get vaccinated.
Most surveyed domestic workers who remain unvaccinated intend to get the vaccine. 71% of respondents said they would definitely (24%)/probably (47%) get the COVID-19 vaccine if it were available to them on the day they responded to the survey.
Barriers to Vaccination for U.S. Domestic Workers
Not being able to take time off from work (to get the vaccine and/or to recover from possible side effects) is a common barrier to vaccination reported by domestic workers. We asked domestic workers who are unvaccinated how important or unimportant the following reasons were to them for not having the vaccine yet:
"If I get side effects, I can't take time off work to recover" - 48% of respondents said this was a very important reason, 41% said it was somewhat important, and 11% said it was not important.
"I can't take time off work to go" - 36% of respondents said this was a very important reason, while 45% said it was somewhat important, and 19% said it was not important.
"I don't have anyone to take care of my children while I go" - 40% of respondents said this was a very important reason, 29% said it was somewhat important, and 31% said it was not important.
"I don't have transportation to the vaccination site" - 29% of respondents said this was a very important reason, 41% said it was somewhat important, and 30% said it was not important.
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 mid-June was 1,382. 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 20 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.
*Last updated on August 31, 2021