From the Guidelines
To improve COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in underserved populations, healthcare systems should implement community-based approaches that address specific barriers through trusted messengers, culturally tailored education, and practical access solutions. Community health workers and local leaders should be engaged to deliver accurate information about COVID-19 vaccines (including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and others available locally) in culturally appropriate ways and languages 1. Mobile vaccination clinics should be established in convenient locations like community centers, places of worship, and schools, with extended hours to accommodate various work schedules. Transportation assistance, childcare services, and paid time off for vaccination and recovery should be provided. Clear communication about vaccine safety, efficacy, and the absence of costs regardless of insurance status is essential. Digital divides should be addressed by offering multiple registration options, including phone lines and in-person sign-ups.
Some key strategies to enhance COVID-19 vaccine uptake among prioritized groups include:
- Stakeholder involvement in planning and targeting vaccination efforts
- Community-based approaches to address specific barriers
- Culturally tailored education and practical access solutions
- Engagement of community health workers and local leaders to deliver accurate information
- Establishment of mobile vaccination clinics in convenient locations
- Provision of transportation assistance, childcare services, and paid time off for vaccination and recovery
These strategies work because they build trust, remove practical barriers, and respect cultural contexts that influence health decisions 1. Ongoing community feedback should guide continuous improvement of vaccination programs to ensure they remain responsive to local needs and concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the extent to which vaccine access, vaccine uptake, and serious illness disproportionately affect certain populations, including those who are poor, marginalized ethnic minorities, low-paid essential workers, the homeless, and those who are incarcerated 1.
Telehealth solutions can also play a crucial role in improving access to care for underserved populations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic 1. However, it is essential to address the digital divide and ensure that telehealth solutions are culturally tailored and accessible to all populations. By implementing these strategies, healthcare systems can improve COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in underserved populations and reduce health disparities.
From the Research
Strategies to Improve Vaccine Hesitancy
To improve vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccination in underserved populations, several strategies can be employed:
- Community-engaged campaigns that acknowledge and address historical injustices and ongoing inequities driving distrust within communities of color 2
- Emphasizing understandable and culturally appropriate messages that directly address concerns about vaccine safety and access 2
- Tapping existing community infrastructure to make full use of trusted voices to deliver timely and accurate information about vaccines 2
- Targeting specific population groups, contexts, and specific reasons for vaccine hesitancy/resistance 3
- Multicomponent, dialogue-based interventions that increase vaccine knowledge and awareness, enhance access and convenience of vaccination, and address mistrust and improve trust in healthcare providers and institutions 3
Addressing Barriers to Vaccination
Barriers to vaccination in underserved populations can be addressed by:
- Ensuring equitable access to vaccination, including addressing structural racism/stigma and institutional mistrust 4
- Providing culturally- and linguistically-appropriate information about vaccines 4
- Increasing vaccine knowledge and awareness, and enhancing access and convenience of vaccination 3
- Addressing concerns about vaccine safety and side effects 3, 4
- Engaging healthcare providers, researchers, vaccine advocates, vaccine manufacturers, and other partners in local communities to increase public trust in immunization systems 5
Effective Interventions
Effective interventions to address vaccine hesitancy and improve uptake include:
- Multicomponent interventions that encompass targeting specific groups, increasing vaccine knowledge and awareness, enhancing access and convenience of vaccination, and addressing mistrust and improving trust in healthcare providers and institutions 3
- Community-engaged behavioral interventions to address population-specific reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, support informed decision-making, and promote equitable access among populations with health disparities 6
- Academic-community partnerships to address misinformation and distrust 6