Majority of LGBTQ community have gotten their first vaccination dose
Two recent surveys have reported that a majority of the LGBTQ community have already gotten their first vaccination dose against COVID-19.
The annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation revealed that 92 percent of LGBTQ adults in the US have gotten their first dose.
Meanwhile, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) Vaccine Monitor survey showed that 82 percent of LGBTQ adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine against 66 percent of non-LGBTQ adults.
First vaccination dose versus COVID-19
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation conducted the survey in partnership and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City.
The survey noted that while vaccination rates were varied within the community, the rates across race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and age are above the rates for the general adult population.
However, while the vaccination rates were high, COVID-19 has also affected the well-being of respondents.
Of those surveyed in the LGBTQ community, 59 percent reported that they felt socially isolated, and 50 percent reported that the pandemic impacted their mental health.
David Paisley, CMI Senior Director of Research, said: “There are many reasons why LGBTQ+ vaccination rates may be higher than the general population, including higher percentages of the LGBTQ+ community being liberal, living in blue states, and living in urban areas.”
Paisley added: “While participants had strong education levels, those with no more than a high school diploma still had an 87 percent vaccination rate.”
He further said: “We also see that COVID isolation significantly impacted LGBTQ+ people, which may have motivated quick vaccination to reenter the community.”
KFF’s monitoring of impact on LGBTQ community
Meanwhile, the KFF had provided two new reports featuring data on the impact on LGBTQ mental health as well as the vaccine uptake within the LGBTQ community.
For their July COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor, they noted that the LGBTQ community as a group are more likely to be vaccinated.
They are also less likely to view getting the vaccine as a health risk compared to non-LGBTQ adults.
Aside from receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, 8 in 10 LGBTQ adults reported being fully vaccinated.
It should be noted that LGBTQ individuals have higher rates of comorbidities. They also experience more stigma and discrimination in the health system as compared to their non-LGBTQ counterparts.
what’s more, larger shares of LGBTQ adults identify as Democrats– which as a group has been disproportionately likely to get the vaccine.