dQ&A’s program to assess the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the United States diabetes community has just wrapped up another survey wave. Data representative of the diabetes population in the United States demonstrates that booster rates are significantly higher for people with diabetes than the general population1. However, status varies widely by race and ethnicity, as well as income.
Since the start of the pandemic, dQ&A has been tracking the effects of COVID-19 on the diabetes community, including vaccination and booster status. Data representative of the diabetes population shows that 65% of adults with diabetes in the United States who have been fully vaccinated have already received a booster. However, black people with diabetes are significantly less likely to have received a booster shot than white, Asian, and Hispanic adults (55%, vs. 69%, 66%, and 64% respectively).
Of people with diabetes that make <$50k annually, 42% have not been boosted. Those who live in rural areas are also less likely to have received a booster than those in urban or suburban areas. Adults aged 65+ living with diabetes have received a booster at a much higher rate than younger adults, likely because they have been eligible for longer.
Among adults who are fully vaccinated but not yet boosted, the majority plan to get it, but 19% say they will probably not or definitely not get a booster shot. With recent data showing that the original two-dose vaccine course or single-dose J&J do not seem to offer protection against the Omicron variant without a booster, it may be of concern that nearly a fifth don’t plan to (and that we’re seeing the disparities mentioned above in whether people with diabetes have been able to access it thus far).
Seven percent of people with diabetes remain unvaccinated, and nine percent have now had a COVID infection at some point during the pandemic. Twenty six percent of those experienced a “breakthrough” case after already having been fully vaccinated.
We are very grateful to our dQ&A US Patient Panel for sharing their invaluable insights with us. If you have questions about this research or would like more information on our industry-leading data services, please reach out to us at info@d-qa.com
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Background
This research was conducted through an online survey with members of the dQ&A US Patient Community, a proprietary research panel of people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The survey was in field December 2 – December 14 and resulted in a sample size of 5,908 respondents. Respondents were paid an incentive for completing the survey.
dQ&A will continue to track the impact of COVID-19 on the diabetes community throughout the pandemic.
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About dQ&A – The Diabetes Research Company
dQ&A is a social enterprise committed to making life better for people with diabetes. We harness patient voices to drive better business results and better health outcomes. For over 14 years, we have been comprehensively tracking the diabetes experience in the United States, Canada, and Europe. We are trusted by diabetes industry leaders for our independence, commitment, and expertise. Our team has decades of experience in quantitative and qualitative research with a deep knowledge of diabetes. We’re efficient and effective; our insights are actionable and accessible. To learn more, send us an email at info@d-qa.com. For research highlights, visit us at d-qa.com and follow us on LinkedIn (dQ&A – The Diabetes Research Company)
1 https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-november-2021/
