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. 2023 Dec 8;1(6):qxad071.
doi: 10.1093/haschl/qxad071. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Increasing equity in adult immunization through community-level action

Ram Koppaka  1 , Melinda Wharton  1 , Megan C Lindley  1 , Jitinder Kohli  2 , Julie Morita  3
Affiliations

Increasing equity in adult immunization through community-level action

Ram Koppaka et al. Health Aff Sch. .

Abstract

Inequities in availability and access to adult vaccinations represent significant gaps in the US public health infrastructure. Adults in racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to receive routinely recommended vaccinations due to systemic barriers, distribution inequities, and lack of trust in vaccines; similar disparities were seen during early COVID-19 vaccination efforts. However, a deliberate focus on reducing disparities can yield progress. National data show narrowing of racial and ethnic adult COVID-19 vaccination coverage disparities over time, highlighting the value of the equity-focused, community-level interventions implemented during the pandemic. This paper describes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to address racial and ethnic disparities in adult immunization, and how lessons learned may be applied post-pandemic. Progress made is likely to be lost without sustained support for adult vaccination at national, state, and community levels.

Keywords: COVID-19; community-based organizations; ethnic disparities; federal funding; health equity; racial disparities; vaccine equity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest Please see ICMJE form(s) for author conflicts of interest. These have been provided as supplementary materials.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Partnering for vaccine equity partner network example organizations and their efforts to improve vaccine equity among racial and ethnic minority communities. Source: Models and Frameworks for the Practice of Community Engagement. Abbreviation: CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
COVID-19 vaccination (≥1 dose) coverage estimates among adults aged ≥18 years, by race and ethnicity—National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, United States, December 2020–November 2021. Source: Kriss et al. Abbreviations: AI/AN, American Indian or Alaska Native; NH/OLP, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
COVID-19 vaccination (≥1 dose) differences in coverage in non-Hispanic White adults by race and ethnicity—National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, United States, December 2020–November 2021. Source: Kriss et al. Abbreviations: AI/AN, American Indian or Alaska Native; NH/OLP, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
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