COVID-19 vaccination and institutional communication: Lessons learned

Abstract Background Minority populations have higher COVID-19 incidence, mortality, and hospitalization rates compared to White populations. COVID-19 vaccination and booster rates remain lower than White populations despite offering significant protection. Effective and culturally appropriate communication is critical for these racial and ethnic populations to make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccination and associated boosters. Objectives The purpose of the study was to describe the COVID-19 communication perspectives, unmet needs, and preferences among minority populations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We applied a qualitative descriptive study design to document the experience of minority individuals with communication on COVID-19 vaccination during and post-pandemic. We conducted 16 audio-recorded focus groups with 142 participants. Findings We identified five major themes: 1) Views toward COVID-19 message content, quantity, tone, and timing; 2) Information sources on COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic; 3) Trusted and distrusted COVID-19 information sources; 4) Navigating conflicting information to identify a trusted source; and 5) Ways to build trust in COVID-19 communication. The quantity of messages along with the tone and timing was considered poor for the majority of participants. Participants had multi-level information sources. They either trusted or distrusted these sources based on specific characteristics and circumstances, with a specific strategy in place to determine their trustworthiness. Strategies were offered for the messenger(s), messages, and their delivery to build trust in COVID-19 communication. Conclusions Our study findings demonstrate the complexities of developing effective risk communication plans for prevention, including COVID-19 vaccination. Study findings can be used to inform best practices and intervention targets for culturally appropriate risk communication with minority populations. Key messages • Communication strategies need to be tailored to specific populations. • Effective communication requires multi-level information sources.