Vaccine confidence and uptake is generally lower among African American and Black adults compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Researchers suggest that medical mistrust, lack of communication, and misinformation are to blame.
To advance health equity and increase vaccine confidence through community-based vaccination campaigns, Merck has awarded Suellen Hopfer, PhD, associate professor of health, society and behavior at the UC Irvine Program in Public Health, $156,000 to study this medical phenomenon through a series of questionnaires and surveys to community members and healthcare providers.
Vaccine confidence reflects a person’s trust in the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. And a person’s trust in the reliability and competence of the healthcare system and the healthcare providers who deliver vaccines, as well as trust in the motivations of policymakers who make vaccine-related decisions and policies.
Hopfer and team will engage with residents of South-Central Los Angeles, and racially diverse healthcare provider students enrolled at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, a minority-serving institution, to understand their attitude towards vaccines.
Despite their proven efficacy and safety, uptake of HPV, COVID-19, Influenza, Hepatitis A, and Pneumococcal vaccines is generally lower among AAB adults compared to other racial/ethnic groups. These disparities in vaccination rates exacerbate and perpetuate health disparities – in turn – increasing morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization rates.
Vaccine uptake is paramount for eliminating disparities and protecting vulnerable African American and Black adults residing in urban, low-income, and medically underserved communities,”
– Suellen Hopfer, PhD
The researchers aim to promote equitable uptake of these lifesaving vaccines among African American and Black (AAB) adults residing in urban, low-income, and medically underserved communities.
“Vaccine uptake is paramount for eliminating disparities and protecting vulnerable African American and Black adults residing in urban, low-income, and medically underserved communities,” said Hopfer, who also has an appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. “We hope to gain valuable insights into the multifaceted factors that shape vaccine confidence, as well as strategies for preparing future healthcare providers to promote vaccine confidence and uptake.”
Findings from the proposed study will inform:
- The development of effective vaccine communication approaches for engaging AAB adults with sub-optimal vaccine uptake.
- The development of tailored and culturally relevant vaccine messages that resonate with AAB adults with sub-optimal vaccine uptake.
- The identification of learning objectives, tailored strategies, and evidence-based skills training for instructing healthcare students.
Hopfer and team will work with principal investigator Professor Cynthia Davis, at Charles Drew University, to achieve their goals.
“This partnership with UC Irvine Public Health plays an essential role in promoting vaccine equity by addressing and overcoming prominent socio-structural constraints related to medical mistrust and structural inequities in healthcare,” said Davis. “The outcome of this research will play a vital role in implementing a community setting delivery of healthcare including vaccination and serves as a training site for CDU healthcare students.”
