A social media microinfluencer intervention to reduce coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine hesitancy in underserved Tennessee communities: A protocol paper

Abstract

Background: Central to effective public health policy and practice is the trust between the population served and the governmental body leading health efforts, but that trust has eroded in the years preceding the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy among adults is also a growing concern across the United States. Recent data suggest that the trustworthiness of information about the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was a larger concern than the vaccine's adverse effects or risks.Objective: This study aims to describe the methods used to create a public health microinfluencer social media vaccine confidence campaign for the COVID-19 vaccine in underserved Tennessee communities. A secondary objective is to describe how the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) and Social Cognitive Theory may address vaccine hesitancy using community pharmacies. Methods: In late 2020, 50 independent community pharmacies in underserved communities across Tennessee were involved in a public health project with the

Influence of Information Sources on Chinese Parents Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination for Children: An Online Survey

“…The other two components of vaccination confidence, namely vaccine effectiveness and side effects (safety), show no correlation with the information sources. This contradicts the findings of Hohmeier et al [ 55 ] and Huang [ 47 ], who purport that personal network exposure (community physicians, community pharmacists, and community opinion leaders) signifies a positive impact on vaccine effectiveness and safety. Furthermore, this study finds that trust in vaccine approval by the government relates to parents’ perceived efficacy and side effects (safety), and is very likely to increase the overall acceptability rate of pediatric vaccination.…”

Consequences of changing Canadian activity patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic include increased residential radon gas exposure for younger people

“…On another positive note, our work adds to the growing evidence 49,50 that that microinfluencer-based public health messaging is an impactful intervention for enabling health seeking behaviour, in this case amongst younger people most impacted by altered radon exposure due to shifted activity patterns. Our microinfluencer case study observed large gains in radon awareness and testing achieved using this technique, and we developed tools (i.e., the interaction index) that may prove useful by public health communicators seeking to motivate behaviour change in younger people.…”

“…Microinfluencers are non-traditional, often local celebrities with between 5000 and 50,000 social media subscribers that demonstrate high degrees of trust (in the influencer) via parasocial interactions and relationships 48 . Microinfluencer marketing has been found to be effective in the context of tobacco reduction for younger people 49 and, most recently, vaccine hesitancy among under-served USA populations 50 , but systematic evaluation in the context of public health messaging remains limited. Ten Instagram microinfluencers located in the Canadian province of Alberta were hired in spring and summer of 2021 to deliver at least three curated posts describing radon health effects, what radon testing involved, and how to interpret test outcomes for their own properties (see Supplemental Information, Section II).…”

Community Forums to Address Vaccine Hesitancy: A Useful Tool for Meeting the Needs of Diverse Communities

“…5 A variety of strategies to increase vaccine uptake have been utilized in rural communities across the nation, with varied results. 6 - 8 …”

“…5 A variety of strategies to increase vaccine uptake have been utilized in rural communities across the nation, with varied results. [6][7][8] Research has shown that rural populations are at significant risk for morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 due to factors that include age stratification, the high prevalence of elderly individuals, and pre-existing comorbidities such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and smoking status. [9][10][11] This, along with limited health care access, fewer life-saving resources including intensive care units and ventilators, and lower health literacy, put rural US communities at significant risk of COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality.…”