Richman Alice R, Schwartz Abby J, Maness Sarah B, Sanchez Leslie, Torres Essie
Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, 300 Curry Court, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
School of Social Work, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, 114 Rivers, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
Vaccines (Basel). 2025 Jun 27;13(7):699. doi: 10.3390/vaccines13070699.
In the United States, vaccine hesitancy is higher among rural and racially and ethnically diverse communities, and messaging from trusted individuals may increase vaccine acceptance. The purpose of this study is to understand vaccine hesitancy, messaging from trusted individuals, and vaccine acceptance strategies among racially and ethnically diverse, medically underserved rural populations.
The researchers conducted 12 in-person focus groups, each consisting of 5 to 12 participants, with community members and trusted leaders from three rural counties in Eastern North Carolina ( = 119). Thematic analysis was used to synthesize insights from the discussions, allowing for the identification of recurring patterns and community-specific considerations regarding vaccine perceptions and messaging.
The researchers identified seven key themes within the primary focus areas of the study: factors influencing vaccine hesitancy, messaging from trusted individuals, and strategies to improve vaccine acceptance. Participants reported differences in trust based on how long a vaccine has been available, concerns about becoming sick after a vaccine, seeing the symptoms of vaccine-preventable diseases, and misinformation on social media. Overall, participants reported trust in messages from medical providers. Trusted leaders advised people to conduct their own research on vaccines when determining whether to receive vaccinations. Lastly, social determinants such as cost, education, and transportation were identified as key barriers to vaccination.
Our findings indicate that medical providers are trusted messengers for vaccine information and the promotion of vaccine uptake. However, distrust linked to fear, misinformation, and structural barriers persist. Public health efforts to increase vaccination confidence among rural, racially and ethnically diverse populations in the United States Southeast should address these factors in future vaccine interventions and educational efforts.
在美国，农村以及种族和民族多元化社区的疫苗犹豫现象更为严重，来自受信任个体的信息传递可能会提高疫苗接种率。本研究的目的是了解种族和民族多元化、医疗服务不足的农村人口中的疫苗犹豫情况、受信任个体的信息传递以及疫苗接种接受策略。
研究人员对来自北卡罗来纳州东部三个农村县的社区成员和受信任领导人进行了12次面对面焦点小组访谈，每个小组由5至12名参与者组成（n = 119）。采用主题分析法综合讨论中的见解，以便确定关于疫苗认知和信息传递的反复出现的模式以及社区特定的考虑因素。
研究人员在研究的主要重点领域内确定了七个关键主题：影响疫苗犹豫的因素、受信任个体的信息传递以及提高疫苗接种接受度的策略。参与者报告称，基于疫苗上市时间长短、对接种疫苗后生病的担忧、看到疫苗可预防疾病的症状以及社交媒体上的错误信息，信任程度存在差异。总体而言，参与者表示信任医疗服务提供者提供的信息。受信任的领导人建议人们在决定是否接种疫苗时自行研究疫苗。最后，成本、教育和交通等社会决定因素被确定为疫苗接种的关键障碍。
我们的研究结果表明，医疗服务提供者是疫苗信息和促进疫苗接种的受信任传递者。然而，与恐惧、错误信息和结构性障碍相关的不信任仍然存在。美国东南部农村地区种族和民族多元化人群中提高疫苗接种信心的公共卫生努力应在未来的疫苗干预和教育工作中解决这些因素。
