Prior research examining place of service and geographic accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely focused on the operational management of mass vaccination efforts, emphasizing aspects such as vaccine distribution, dose allocation, and user experience and satisfaction, but has paid less attention to the potential impact on mental health outcomes of vaccine seekers. This study examined the effects of different types of vaccination site and driving distance to vaccination sites on anxiety and depression among COVID-19 vaccine seekers.
Design
Cross-sectional analysis using data from PHQ-4 Covid-19, 2021.
Setting
Southern California.
Subjects
A total of 13 360 respondents from the dataset.
Measures
Key variables include anxiety, depression, place of service, travel distance, and individual-level and tract-level control variables.
There is a significant positive association between receiving vaccinations at pop-up clinics and anxiety levels (OR = 1.251). Individuals vaccinated at pop-up clinics had a 25% higher likelihood of experiencing anxiety compared to those vaccinated at conventional outpatient clinics. A positive relationship was also observed between driving distance to vaccination sites and anxiety (OR = 1.088).
Conclusion
The findings highlight the importance of considering the psychological impact of vaccination site selection and accessibility. To minimize anxiety, public health strategies should prioritize familiar and easily accessible vaccination locations.
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