In Rhode Island, 30% of prison staff have refused the vaccine, a higher rate than the incarcerated, according to the state’s Department of Corrections.
Prison staff helped accelerate outbreaks by refusing to wear masks, downplaying people’s symptoms, and haphazardly enforcing social distancing and hygiene protocols in confined, poorly ventilated spaces ripe for viral spread.
AdStill, some correctional officers are refusing the vaccine because they fear both short- and long-term side effects of the immunizations.
The resistance to the vaccine is not unique to correctional officers.
It was updated on March 16, 2021, to add the percentage of Rhode Island prison staff who have declined to be vaccinated.