JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Few studies have focused on attitudes towards novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination among Black or African American young adults (BYA) in the Southern United States (US), despite high levels of infection in this population.

Objective:

To understand this gap, we conducted an online survey to explore beliefs and experiences related to COVID-19 vaccination among BYA (ages 18-29) in three southern states.

Methods:

We recruited 150 BYA to participate in an online survey as formative research for an intervention to address vaccine hesitancy/skepticism in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina between September 22, 2021, and November 18, 2021. Participants were recruited through social media ads on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Additionally, we distributed information about the survey through national organizations working with BYA, our community partners and network collaborations. We used validated measures from prior surveys on COVID-19 vaccination.

Results:

Less than half of vaccinated respondents planned to get a booster shot (47%, n=71) and 14% (n=28) had not received any doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Half of unvaccinated respondents (50%, n=14) reported they wanted to wait longer before getting vaccinated. Motivators to get vaccinated were similar between unvaccinated and vaccinated respondents (e.g., if required, to protect the health of others); but the main motivator for those vaccinated was to protect one’s own health. Among unvaccinated individuals, reasons for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine included concern about vaccine side effects (54%) and mistrust of vaccine safety (46%), of effectiveness (43%), and of the government’s involvement with vaccines (43%). Experiences of discrimination (40%) and mistrust of vaccines (36%) were common even among the vaccinated population. Among all respondents, those who said they would be motivated to get vaccinated if it was required for school, work, or travel, were more likely to endorse negative beliefs about vaccines compared to those motivated for other reasons.

Conclusions:

Mistrust in COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy was common among this sample of BYA in the South, irrespective of vaccination status. Other motivators such as safety of family and community and vaccination requirements may be able to tip the scales towards a decision to be vaccinated among those who are initially hesitant. However, it is unclear how vaccine requirements among BYA in the South affect trust in government or healthcare in the long-term. Interventions that include young Black adults in vaccination messaging and programs may consider more proactively addressing trust and countering misinformation.