COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, access among Blacks, Latinxs

Editor's Note

This study by researchers at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, identifies three themes centered on trust and addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccine access in Black and Latinx communities in the US.

The study involved 72 participants—56 women, 16 men, 36 Black, 28 Latinx, and 8 Black/Latinx.

The themes included:

• mistreatment of Black and Latinx communities and associated distrust, stemming from events such as the Tuskegee syphilis study and the perception that their voices go unheard by the healthcare system
• informing trust via trusted messengers, social support, seeing diversity at the vaccination sites, and having choices in the vaccination process
• addressing structural barriers to vaccine access, such as the perception that vaccine availability was limited in Black and Brown communities, the supply of vaccines was being commandeered by White communities, and Spanish language support was lacking.

A total of 16 participants said they were either not planning to get vaccinated (9), unsure (6), or undisclosed (1).

The findings may impact what healthcare systems, public health officials, policy makers, healthcare practitioners, and community leaders can do to facilitate equitable uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, the researchers say.