COVID-19 vaccination and mask wearing behaviors in the United States, August 2020 - June 2021
Abstract
Background: During the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination, many states relaxed mask wearing requirements for those who were vaccinated. The aim of this study was to look at the association between vaccination status and mask wearing behaviors.
Methods: Seven waves of surveys (n=6721) were conducted between August 2020 and June 2021. Participants were asked about initiation of COVID-19 vaccination and mask wearing behavior when going to work/school or a grocery store. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from logistic regression were used to estimate associations between vaccination status and mask wearing at work/school and at the grocery store.
Conclusion: This study showed that mask wearing decreased after mask guidelines were relaxed, with consistently lower mask wearing among the unvaccinated, indicating a reluctance among the unvaccinated to adopt COVID-19 risk reduction behaviors.
