Abstract

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic remains an ongoing public health threat, with higher rates of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality seen in populations of color. While COVID-19 vaccines have shown efficacy in preventing severe symptoms with infection, there is still vaccine hesitancy in Black communities.

Methods: Following a needs assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Black-owned community-based, non-profit organization engaged in community outreach to enhance vaccination in the Black community and other underserved populations. In a focus group discussion, the four personnel in the organization at the time, described their organizational efforts. Transcript from the audio-recorded focus group was analyzed for themes associated with strategies, success, challenges and lessons learned.

Results: Program activities utilized a one-on-one approach, prioritized relationship-building, and sought for collaboration. Outreach strategies included community education through various media, enhancing access to information and the vaccines, and establishing support through navigator/advocacy roles. Challenges encountered were associated with the rapidly evolving landscape of the pandemic, accessibility, and vaccine hesitancy and resistance. Personnel learned to focus more efforts on those hesitant versus resistant. These community-based efforts were successful in mobilizing members of the Black community as well as those from other marginalized groups for COVID vaccinations.

Conclusion: The pre-existing relationships, racial concordance and embeddedness of the outreach personnel in the community, along with partnerships with healthcare systems in the locality were key factors to the success of this grassroots outreach intervention to enhance COVID-19 vaccination in the Black and other underserved groups.

Keywords: Black/African-American; COVID-19 vaccination; Community-based intervention; Community outreach; Vaccine hesitancy