In Rhode Island, prison staff have refused the vaccine at higher rates than the incarcerated, according to medical director Dr. Justin Berk. 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. ADVERTISEMENTStill, 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. Correctional officers can bring the virus home from work and infect family members, too.
