Abstract
Community Activation Model: The power of knowledge and its impact on improving COVID-19 vaccine inoculation among health care workers at Harlem Hospital.
APHA 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo
Background: Racial, ethnic, and socio-economic health disparities observed during the COVID-19 pandemic are a rude re-awakening, highlighting inequities and failures within our health systems. Most concerning is the mis- and disinformation in communities of color and lower-income communities impacting vaccination uptake and general prevention measures. Despite the workforce COVID-19 vaccination mandate (August 16th, 2021), New York City Health Hospitals (NYC H+H) overall had > 20% and ~22% of the Harlem Hospital workforce unvaccinated. To mitigate the potential loss of healthcare workers (HCWs), education and trust building efforts took place.
Methods: To identify key drivers of staff vaccine hesitancy we conducted qualitative interviews and surveys. Guided by staff feedback, an educational seminar was co-developed. HCWs not yet vaccinated were required to participate. Pre-/post-surveys were collected as were daily vaccination statistics.
Results: Top vaccine hesitancy reasons were COVID-19 no longer being perceived as a threat, lack of trust in the vaccine, and frustration with the lack of personal agency. Over 3 weeks, every unvaccinated employee took part in at least one seminar (N=542). By the September 27th mandate, only 4.4% of staff remained unvaccinated. Pre-post survey results (N=35) showed strong improvements for vaccine use intentions, confidence in understanding the COVID-19 pandemic, and perceived benefits of the educational seminar.
Conclusion: Tailored efforts developed by and oriented towards specific under-engaged populations are critical to address disparities related to vaccine hesitancy and other prevention measures. Respectful customized information and trust-building engagement are needed to combat misinformation and allow participants to make well-informed health related decisions.