Methods: 44 interviews regarding beliefs, concerns, and experiences surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination were conducted in Spanish with Hispanic and Latinx participants at 4 rural COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Buffalo County, WI between March and April, 2021. Most participants were of Mexican origin and male in their 20s-30s. All participants worked on dairy farms in Buffalo and Pepin counties. All interviewees wished to remain anonymous. Interviews have been transcribed using Rev.ai automatic transcription software and revised and translated to English by students and faculty. Interviews have been analyzed for trends using MAX QDA.

Results: Themes included familial, financial, and occupational well-being as both principal concerns and motivating factors for vaccination; perceptions of personal responsibility for COVID-19 infection and social responsibility for vaccination; feelings of isolation during the pandemic; limited access to online educational technologies and distrust of social media; and fear for the well-being of international family and community networks over the local or personal.

Discussion: The perspectives expressed in these interviews may be used by public health providers to inform services and educational outreach initiatives for our rural, midwestern Hispanic and Latinx community members. Further conversations with a broader cross-section of Hispanic and Latinx community members are needed in order to understand and meet the health needs of this population in Western Wisconsin.