No Populations Left Behind: Vaccine Hesitancy and Equitable Diffusion of Effective COVID-19 Vaccines
The Journal of General Internal Medicine features a new publication by NIMHD scientific leaders Monica Webb Hooper, Ph.D., Anna María Nápoles, Ph.D., M.P.H., and Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., titled, No Populations Left Behind: Vaccine Hesitancy and Equitable Diffusion of Effective COVID-19 Vaccines.
National surveys assessing vaccination willingness and reports of vaccination administration by race/ethnicity indicate at least two areas that warrant attention: elevated vaccine hesitancy among African American and Latino adults, and the need to ensure equitable access to vaccination. This Perspective discusses the complexity of drivers related to these observations, including individual, community, and structural factors. As well, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is not uniform within racial/ethnic minority populations; yet, given the disproportionate impact, understandable distrust, and widespread misinformation, there is an imperative to overcome challenges associated with vaccination willingness and uptake, as well as implementation and access. This Perspective highlights two initiatives at the National Institutes of Health that focus on addressing vaccine misinformation and distrust and on how community-engaged behavioral interventions can address the population-specific reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, support informed decision-making, and promote equitable access among populations with health disparities.
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