COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Access Among Black and Latinx Communities

Abstract

IMPORTANCEBlack and Latinx communities have faced disproportionate harm from the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and access has the potential to mitigate mortality and morbidity from COVID-19 for all communities, including those most impacted by the pandemic. OBJECTIVE To investigate and understand factors associated with facilitating and obstructing COVID-19 vaccine access and acceptance among Black and Latinx communities. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This community-partnered qualitative study conducted semistructured, in-depth focus groups with Black and Latinx participants from March 17 to March 29, 2021, using a secure video conferencing platform. Participants were recruited through emails from local community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, social service agencies, the New Haven, Connecticut, Health Department, and in-person distribution of study information from community health workers. A total of 8 focus groups were conducted, including 4 in Spanish and 4 in English, with 72 participants from a diverse range of community roles, including teachers, custodial service workers, and health care employees, in New Haven, Connecticut. Data were analyzed from March 17 to July 30, 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESInterviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach. Themes and subthemes were identified on the acceptability and accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccine among participants who identified as Black and/or Latinx. RESULTS Among 72 participants, 36 (50%) identified as Black, 28 (39%) as Latinx, and 8 (11%) as Black and Latinx and 56 (78%) identified as women and 16 (22%) identified as men. Participants described 3 major themes that may represent facilitators and barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations: pervasive mistreatment of Black and Latinx communities and associated distrust; informing trust via trusted messengers and messages, choice, social support, and diversity; and addressing structural barriers to vaccination access. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEThe findings of this qualitative study may impact what health care systems, public health officials, policy makers, health care practitioners, and community leaders can do to facilitate equitable uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. Community-informed insights are imperative to facilitating COVID-19 vaccine access and acceptance among communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Preventing the further widening of inequities and addressing structural barriers to vaccination access are vital to protecting all communities, especially Black and Latinx individuals who have experienced disproportionate death and loss from COVID-19.

Behavioural Determinants of COVID-19-Vaccine Acceptance in Rural Areas of Six Lower- and Middle-Income Countries

“…Community leaders, religious leaders, close family members, and friends were reported to be very influential in mobilizing communities for COVID-19 vaccination. This lends support to other studies that have found that perceived social norms are positively associated with people's intentions to get vaccinated, including vaccination with a COVID-19 vaccine, and the importance they give to getting vaccines [8,36,37]. As vaccines are made available to more and more people in these countries, it will be important that people see or hear that most people around them are planning to get a COVID-19 vaccine.…”

COVID-19 vaccination readiness among multiple racial and ethnic groups in the San Francisco Bay Area: A qualitative analysis

“…A recent review of published national surveys in the US identified several factors significantly associated with lower individual vaccine readiness among Latinx and Black/African American individuals, including socioeconomic status, medical mistrust, racial discrimination, exposure to misinformation and myths, and mistaken beliefs about vaccine efficacy and potential side effects [ 11 ]. Specifically, low vaccination readiness was attributed to those who were younger in age, have lower income and no college degree, have conversative political leanings, living in rural neighborhoods, living in multigenerational households, mistrust medical systems and have experienced racial discrimination [ 12 – 17 ]. Some surveys in the US have also found less vaccine confidence among Asian individuals relative to white respondents [ 12 ].…”

Factors that influence Puerto Rican's intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine

“…Research suggests that U.S. Latino populations (and Black populations) report historical mistreatment in research (e.g., Tuskegee study) and feel as though their voice is ignored by medical professions, leading to mistrust in those developing and distributing the vaccine. 41 However, other research suggests health professionals, academic institutions, and government agencies were the most trusted sources of information about COVID-19 and were trusted more than news media, family/friends, and social media. 42 Although trust in sources sending information about the vaccine is important because of the influence it can have on intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19, 43 it is unknown how U.S. Latino populations perceive information sources reporting about COVID-19.…”