Vaccination Access and Mental Health: How Place of Service and Distance Influence Wellbeing During COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose

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.

Analysis

Multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression models.

Results

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.