Developing Culturally Relevant Literature on Vaccine Hesitancy in Black Communities

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Canadians and Americans (BCAs) have experienced higher rates of infection and death than whites, in part, because of vaccine hesitancy. Rates of vaccine hesitancy were not significantly different between Black and white North Americans, but the issue is much more complex for BCAs because of racism, medical mistrust, and numerous other factors. Two major systemic factors must be addressed to develop culturally relevant vaccine hesitancy research: capturing the complexities of the issue in our data and recruiting Black participants to studies. This paper reviews the shortcomings of vaccine hesitancy research to determine how to address these gaps. Common themes in the literature reviewed were identified and categorised. It was found that in order to capture complex data, researchers should collect thorough demographic and regional data, and should conduct more small-scale, Black-focused studies. To facilitate more open and honest discussions, they should also collaborate with Black co-researchers, center personal and vicarious experiences with racism, and address the stigma associated with being ‘anti-vaxx’. To increase the representation of BCAs in study samples, researchers must build mutual trust and respect with participants and should also consider offering virtual and multilingual options for study participation. This guide has the potential to aid researchers in collecting less aggregated data on vaccine hesitancy that is more reflective of the values, beliefs, and concerns of BCAs, so that we can better support the health of the community.