Building Trust in and Access to a COVID-19 Vaccine Among People of Color and Tribal Nations

Policymakers and the healthcare sector must earn trust within communities of color and tribal communities to ensure COVID-19 vaccine receptivity. This policy brief calls for building vaccine acceptance through data transparency, tailored communications via trusted messengers, ensuring ease of vaccine access, and zero out-of-pocket costs.

AVAC manager Abby Bownas was honored to be part of a discussion in October 2020 on building confidence in COVID-19 vaccines among communities of color. Led by TFAH, the National Medical Association, and UnidosUS, the purpose of the convening was to advise policymakers on the barriers to vaccine receptivity within communities of color and tribal communities and how to overcome those barriers. Following the convening, these groups released the policy brief, Building Trust in and Access to a COVID-19 Vaccine Among People of Color and Tribal Nations. The brief outlines why empowering those communities’ networks and trusted messengers will be critical to vaccine acceptance and makes recommendations to improve access to and utilization of the COVID-19 vaccine.