COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making Among Black Women: A Qualitative Study

17 Pages Posted: 5 Mar 2023

See all articles by Inari Mohammed

Inari Mohammed

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

Rachel Widome

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

Kelly M. Searle

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

Abstract

Objective: To understand COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among Black women in the United States.Methods: We conducted qualitative interviews with 60 Black women (both African American and first- and second-generation immigrants originating from Africa and the Caribbean) living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Area.

Results: Participants who were highly motivated to get vaccinated described their trust in science and a desire to protect themselves and those around them; while those who delayed vaccination reported doubts about vaccine safety. Many reported being influenced by targeted misinformation including the pervasive vaccine myths related to reproductive health. Historical trauma from unethical biomedical research and experiences of racism were also motivating factors. There were several concerns raised that were specific to ethnic groups.

Conclusions: Current public health strategies that are intended to promote Covid vaccination are failing Black communities. Participants highlighted the need for clear and culturally appropriate communication about COVID-19 and the vaccines that is aligned with their communities’ values and addresses misinformation. The critical insights we have gained by listening to these communities should be used to develop novel vaccination policy approaches.

Note:
Funding Information: This work was funded by internal funding from the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Declaration of Interests: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: We obtained verbal consent from all interview participants prior to the interviews. Participants received a $100 Visa gift card via mail to thank them for their participation. All procedures were approved by the University of Minnesota IRB [IRB ID STUDY00014317].

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccines, Vaccine Decision-making, Health Equity, Black Women's Health

Suggested Citation

Mohammed, Inari and Widome, Rachel and Searle, Kelly M., COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making Among Black Women: A Qualitative Study. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4374578 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4374578

Inari Mohammed (Contact Author)

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health ( email )

Rachel Widome

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health ( email )

Kelly M. Searle

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

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