A Community-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Medicine
• Health Equity

Background:

• COVID-19 disproportionately affected Black and Latinx communities, exacerbated by historical medical distrust and access barriers.
• Vaccination rates for Black and Latinx adolescents in Boston lagged behind other demographic groups prior to the intervention.
• Pre-existing inequities and misinformation contributed to vaccine hesitancy in marginalized populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based intervention, "Ask-a-Doc," in addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black and Latinx adolescents.
• To improve health literacy and vaccine uptake in underserved communities through pediatric resident physician outreach.
• To foster trust between healthcare systems and systematically oppressed communities.

Main Methods:

• Boston Medical Center established community vaccine clinic sites across Suffolk County.
• Pediatric resident physicians partnered to create the "Ask-a-Doc" education program.
• The program involved multidisciplinary stakeholders and targeted 15 zip codes with community vaccine events.

Main Results:

• 1521 vaccine doses were administered across 46 community events, primarily to Black and Latinx individuals.
• 67% of eligible pediatric resident physicians participated in the "Ask-a-Doc" program by January 1, 2022.
• The intervention demonstrated successful community engagement and vaccine administration in targeted zip codes.

Conclusions:

• The "Ask-a-Doc" program serves as a model for community-based interventions addressing health inequities and misinformation.
• Pediatric resident physicians can effectively engage in community outreach with adequate institutional support, protected time, and resources.
• Such initiatives have the potential to build trust and credibility within historically marginalized communities.