Analysis of Language Translations of State Governments' Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Websites

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaign, non-English-communicating individuals have faced inequities in access to resources for vaccine education and uptake. We characterized the language translation status of states' COVID-19 vaccine websites to inform discussion on the sufficiency of translated information and strategies for expanding the availability of multilingual vaccine information.

We identified the primary COVID-19 vaccine website for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government ("jurisdictions") and determined the languages into which information about obtaining the vaccine (access) and vaccine safety and efficacy had been translated, as of October 2021. We compared these findings with data from the American Community Survey to determine how many individuals had these online resources available in their primary language.

Only 56% of jurisdictions provided professionally translated information about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, and only 50% provided professionally translated information about how to register for or obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, in at least one language. Consequently, ∼26 million Americans may not have accurate vaccine safety and efficacy information available, and ∼29 million Americans may not have vaccine access information available, from their jurisdiction in their primary language. Furthermore, translated information often was limited in scope and/or number of languages provided.

Translation of COVID-19 vaccine information on state government websites currently is insufficient to meet the needs of non-English-communicating populations. This analysis can inform discussions about resource needs and operational considerations for adequate provision of multilingual, critical health information.