Assessing Vaccine Hesitancy and a Pharmacist Led Intervention Model to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among African Americans

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted African Americans across the United States. With the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, there was an urgent need to assess the African American community’s readiness for vaccine uptake in order to inform a pharmacist-led intervention model that could increase vaccination. This study assessed beliefs and behaviors regarding willingness to be vaccinated with a prospective COVID-19 vaccine among African Americans in the Southeastern Louisiana region. Materials/Methods: The study utilized a multicenter approach that included clinics, health care institutions, and community based surveys structured around three specific aims. Aim 1 was to identify factors of vaccine hesitancy and the potential acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine among the adult African American community. Aim 2 was to assess the personal and financial impact of COVID-19, knowledge of COVID-19, and experience with the healthcare system related to COVID-19. Aim 3 used the results of Aims 1 and 2 to inform a community pharmacist certification course and a pharmacist-led intervention model among pharmacist vaccinators. Aims 1 and 2 were assessed through surveys conducted at the start of the study with an abbreviated follow-up survey nine months later among clinic patients, community members, and community pharmacy patients. Changes in vaccine hesitancy and the impact on vaccine uptake were also determined. Aim 3 was assessed through a pharmacist-led education intervention model with vaccine uptake surveillance in community pharmacies across Louisiana to monitor COVID-19 and other vaccines. Outcome/Impact: The study helped understand health-related beliefs and behaviors related to COVID-19 and vaccination and their impact on likely vaccine uptake among African Americans. The study provided data to facilitate the development of strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccination in a vulnerable community, with community pharmacists serving as vaccinators and a pre- and post-analysis plan to assess the intervention’s success.