Engaging Latino Families About COVID-19 Vaccines: A Qualitative Study Conducted in Oregon, USA

Abstract

Objectives Latinos are disproportionately vulnerable to severe COVID-19 due to workplace exposure, multigenerational households, and existing health disparities. Rolling out COVID-19 vaccines among vulnerable Latinos is critical to address disparities. This study explores vaccine perceptions of Latino families to inform culturally centered strategies for vaccine dissemination. Method Semistructured telephone interviews with Latino families (22 mothers and 24 youth, 13–18 years old) explored COVID-19 vaccine perceptions including (1) sources of information, (2) trust of vaccine effectiveness and willingness to get vaccinated, and (3) access to the vaccine distribution. We identified thematic patterns using immersion–crystallization. Results We found that (1) 41% expressed optimism and willingness to receive the vaccine coupled with concerns about side effects; (2) 45% expressed hesitancy or would refuse vaccination based on mistrust, myths, fear of being used as “guinea pigs,” and the perceived role of politics in vaccine development; (3) families “digested” information gathered from social media, the news, and radio through intergenerational communication; and (4) participants called for community-led advocacy and “leading by example” to dispel fear and misinformation. Optimistic participants saw the vaccine as a way to protect their families, allowing youth to return to schools and providing safer conditions for frontline essential workers. Conclusions Culturally centered vaccine promotion campaigns may consider the Latino family unit as their target audience by providing information that can be discussed among parents and youth, engaging a range of health providers and advocates that includes traditional practitioners and community health workers, and disseminating information at key venues, such as schools, churches, and supermarkets.

Racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in U.S. Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy during vaccine rollout and factors that explain them

“…Like Black adults, we also expected to find that foreign-born Hispanic adults would also be more vaccine hesitant than White adults. Undergirding this expectation were localized studies suggesting that foreign-born Hispanic individuals are vaccine hesitant ( Garcia et al, 2021 ; Gehlbach et al, 2021 ; Gonzalez et al, 2021 ) and evidence that a political climate that led undocumented immigrants to fear deportation and foreign-born adults to fear being labeled as public charges likely lead foreign-born Hispanic adults to be vaccine hesitant ( Clark et al, 2021 ). Our research expectation was not supported.…”

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Intention: Evidence from Chile, Mexico, and Colombia

“…In the present study, we assessed negative beliefs about the COVID-19 vaccine, but future research should also consider positive beliefs. As Garcia and Vargas [ 15 ] state, beliefs such as vaccines being a good option or that vaccines help save people could have a vital role in predicting COVID-19 vaccination intent.…”

“…Several reasons affect people’s confidence in vaccines and their consequent intention to vaccinate. Among these reasons are the perception of vaccines’ safety and efficacy, their potential risks, the compatibility of getting vaccinated with religious beliefs, the lack of information about side effects, and distrust in the medical system [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. These negative beliefs about vaccines have increased in recent months [ 16 ].…”

“…These negative beliefs about vaccines have increased in recent months [ 16 ]. The scenario of uncertainty and the rapid development of vaccines for COVID-19 have caused people to develop negative beliefs about the possible consequences that the vaccine may have (e.g., an eventual increase in the spread of the virus, distrust of its effectiveness in the long term, an increased likelihood of infection and higher risks associated with side effects) [ 15 , 17 ].…”

Addressing COVID-19 vaccination equity for Hispanic/Latino communities by attending to aguantarismo: A Californian US–Mexico border perspective

“…For instance, pandemic-related campaigns tailored to Hispanic/Latino communities leveraging familismo have appealed productively to the value of protecting other family members, whether through COVID-19 testing ( Garcini et al, 2021 ) or vaccination ( Garcia et al, 2021 ). And perhaps due to familismo , an intervention asking vaccinated individuals to spread pro-vaccine messages in family and other social networks had the best results in Latinx circles ( Marquez et al, 2021 ).…”