COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Latinx individuals in North Texas: Understandings from a community study

Despite the advent of effective COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy persists in the United States. Some minoritized populations, including Latinx individuals, experience elevated risk for COVID-19 due to numerous social and economic factors, but vaccination rates in this population are lower than white non-Latinx individuals. Further, Latinx individuals experiencing intersecting forms of social marginalization - such as identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+), having a precarious immigration status, or being capable of pregnancy - may encounter compounded barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. To examine why COVID-19 vaccination disparities persist among Latinx people, we surveyed 135 Latinx individuals in North Texas to assess their COVID-19 vaccination status, reasons for vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine intentions. We also examined the correlation between vaccine hesitancy and demographic factors, as well as trust in information sources regarding COVID-19. Most participants (77%) received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine but over 21% expressed vaccine hesitancy. Trust in government institutions emerged as a significant factor influencing vaccine hesitancy. Among participants with children, both parental vaccination status and vaccine hesitancy significantly shaped decisions about vaccinating children for COVID-19. Vaccinated individuals also expressed greater support for vaccination mandates for engaging in public spaces, such as attending concerts or sporting events, and working outside the home, than unvaccinated individuals. Findings from our study offer a deeper understanding of the sociocultural and informational determinants of vaccine uptake, underscoring the need for targeted public health strategies to enhance vaccination rates among Latinx populations.