Navigating Vaccines with Confidence: Assessing Current and Past Community-Based Vaccination Efforts in Rural Eastern...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccination is critical for community infectious disease control, yet vaccine hesitancy and declining uptake pose significant public health challenges.
• Rural communities, particularly in Eastern North Carolina, face unique barriers to vaccine access and confidence due to limited resources.
• Understanding existing community-based vaccination efforts is crucial for developing effective strategies to improve vaccine uptake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current landscape of community-based vaccination initiatives in rural Eastern North Carolina.
• To identify key components of successful community-based vaccination programs.
• To assess the feasibility and community support for a new vaccine education and navigation program.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 25 semi-structured qualitative interviews with individuals involved in vaccination education and navigation programs.
• Participants were managers or coordinators from health agencies, clinics, and pharmacies in three rural Eastern North Carolina counties.
• Interview data were transcribed, coded using NVivo, and analyzed thematically to identify insights and themes.

Main Results:

• Strengths of current efforts include patient education, inter-organizational partnerships, and community engagement via social media, flyers, and trusted leaders.
• Areas for improvement involve broader audience engagement, building vaccine trust, and expanding education for hard-to-reach populations.
• Participants supported a proposed education and navigation program, citing potential for overcoming hesitancy with incentives and trusted messengers.

Conclusions:

• A significant need exists for enhanced trust-building, education, and patient engagement in rural Eastern North Carolina's vaccination efforts, especially for vulnerable groups.
• The study confirmed the feasibility and community support for an integrated vaccine education and navigation program.
• An integrated program was developed and implemented based on study findings to address identified gaps and improve vaccine uptake.