Five Resources for Addressing Hesitancy
While COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed throughout the country, many are still unsure if they will get the vaccine. Key in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is equitable access and distribution to ensure that vulnerable populations and communities that have been historically left behind are protected against the virus. Equally as important are leadership efforts by elected officials, public health officials, and their partners to ensure that public health messaging regarding the safety and the efficacy of vaccines reaches vaccine hesitant people.
Many Black, Indigenous, Latino/Hispanic and other people of color are hesitant to receive the vaccine due to historical and present accounts of racism in medicine and beyond. Vaccine distribution plans must address vaccine hesitancy concerns to reach herd immunity, protect vulnerable people, and contribute to the return to a sense of normalcy. This 5-step resource is designed to support the hard conversations about the vaccine with vaccine hesitant individuals.