TY - JOUR
T1 - Context and Considerations for the Development of Community-Informed Health Communication Messaging to Support Equitable Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccines Among Communities of Color in Washington, DC
AU - Kerrigan, Deanna
AU - Mantsios, Andrea
AU - Karver, Tahilin Sanchez
AU - Davis, Wendy
AU - Taggart, Tamara
AU - Calabrese, Sarah K.
AU - Mathews, Allison
AU - Robinson, Sullivan
AU - Ruffin, Regretta
AU - Feaster-Bethea, Geri
AU - Quinteros-Grady, Lupi
AU - Galvis, Carmen
AU - Reyes, Rosa
AU - Martinez Chio, Gabriela
AU - Tesfahun, Mesgana
AU - Lane, Ambrose
AU - Peeks, Shanna
AU - Henderson, Kimberly M.
AU - Harris, Kimberly M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by DC Health.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute.
PY - 2023/2
Y1 - 2023/2
N2 - Background: Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. We explored barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccine uptake among African American, Latinx, and African immigrant communities in Washington, DC. Methods: A total of 76 individuals participated in qualitative interviews and focus groups, and 208 individuals from communities of color participated in an online crowdsourcing contest. Results: Findings documented a lack of sufficient, accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines and questions about the science. African American and African immigrant participants spoke about the deeply rooted historical underpinnings to their community’s vaccine hesitancy, citing the prior and ongoing mistreatment of people of color by the medical community. Latinx and African immigrant participants highlighted how limited accessibility played an important role in the slow uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in their communities. Connectedness and solidarity were found to be key assets that can be drawn upon through community-driven responses to address social-structural challenges to COVID-19 related vaccine uptake. Conclusions: The historic and ongoing socio-economic context and realities of communities of color must be understood and respected to inform community-based health communication messaging to support vaccine equity for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
AB - Background: Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. We explored barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccine uptake among African American, Latinx, and African immigrant communities in Washington, DC. Methods: A total of 76 individuals participated in qualitative interviews and focus groups, and 208 individuals from communities of color participated in an online crowdsourcing contest. Results: Findings documented a lack of sufficient, accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines and questions about the science. African American and African immigrant participants spoke about the deeply rooted historical underpinnings to their community’s vaccine hesitancy, citing the prior and ongoing mistreatment of people of color by the medical community. Latinx and African immigrant participants highlighted how limited accessibility played an important role in the slow uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in their communities. Connectedness and solidarity were found to be key assets that can be drawn upon through community-driven responses to address social-structural challenges to COVID-19 related vaccine uptake. Conclusions: The historic and ongoing socio-economic context and realities of communities of color must be understood and respected to inform community-based health communication messaging to support vaccine equity for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Communities of color
KW - Vaccine equity
KW - Washington, DC
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U2 - 10.1007/s40615-022-01231-8
DO - 10.1007/s40615-022-01231-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 35118609
AN - SCOPUS:85124205191
SN - 2197-3792
VL - 10
SP - 395
EP - 409
JO - Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
JF - Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
IS - 1
ER -