Case Studies of Rapid Community Assessment Implementation to Improve Vaccine Confidence and Demand During the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted 14 rapid community assessments (RCAs) to identify factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine confidence and demand. In May 2022, CDC's COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force conducted case studies of 3 communities to evaluate the RCA's impact and scalability. We convened online semi-structured interviews with 16 health department and community-based organization staff to explore the perceived value of RCAs, suggestions for improving the RCA process, and outcomes. We employed a general inductive analysis method with a priori codes and summarized findings. The CDC's RCA process engaged vaccine-hesitant populations, identified the causes of their hesitancy, and built internal capacity for conducting RCAs and using data effectively. Despite challenges in planning and coordinating across jurisdictions, RCAs proved valuable in enhancing vaccine confidence and demand efforts. Key lessons included allowing up to 2 months for planning, involving culturally competent, bilingual scientists, and offering post-RCA technical assistance to implement recommendations.