Interviews ID Factors Tied to COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Black Women

TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Three main themes may largely explain COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black women in the United States: mistrust in health care and government, concerns over vaccine safety, and disapproval of coercive vaccine communication, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in JAMA Network Open.

Brittany C. Slatton, Ph.D., from the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences at Texas Southern University in Houston, and colleagues explored factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among U.S. Black women. The analysis included interviews from 54 Black women (aged 21 to 66 years).

The researchers found that three primary themes emerged, including (1) mistrust in health care and government, rooted in past medical exploitation; (2) concerns over vaccine safety and long-term effects, particularly regarding reproductive health; and (3) ineffective and coercive vaccine communication and promotion. Many women reported the desire for more comprehensive education about vaccine mechanisms and disapproved of the use of coercive financial incentives and celebrity endorsements in vaccine promotion.

“Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black women requires a multifaceted approach that acknowledges historical traumas, provides clear and transparent safety information, and avoids coercive vaccine promotion strategies,” the authors write. “These findings emphasize the need for health care practitioners and public health officials to prioritize trust-building, engage community leaders, and tailor interventions to address the unique concerns of Black women to improve vaccine confidence and uptake.”

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