COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Concerns Among People Who Use Drugs in Oregon.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and explore reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among people who use drugs (PWUDs), a population with increased COVID-19 transmission and morbidity. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with PWUDs in 7 Oregon counties from May 11 to June 25, 2021. Participants (n = 34) were recruited in partnership with syringe service programs and local community organizations staff, participant-referrals, and flyer advertising. Research staff conducted interviews via telephone to assess participants' acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, find knowledge gaps where new educational information about vaccination would be helpful, and identify who would be perceived as a trustworthy source of information. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis with a deductive approach. RESULTS: Most participants had not received the COVID-19 vaccine and were not planning on or were unsure about receiving it. Participants were mistrustful of the rapid COVID-19 vaccine development process, the agencies involved in the development, and vaccines in general. Participants shared varied and contrasting responses about who they would trust to provide information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including peer recovery support specialists, doctors, or other health care professionals, and specified federal agencies or media outlets. CONCLUSIONS: As addiction medicine and public health staff continue to respond to the evolving impacts of COVID-19, vaccination planning should be tailored to the unique needs of PWUD to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in this high-risk population.

Why We Will Not Return to Exclusively Face-to-Face Tutoring Post-COVID: Improving Student Engagement through Technology

Online peer tutoring provided crucial social and academic engagement opportunities for students and peer tutors during COVID-19. This article describes our institution's transition to fully online academic support services and discusses their impact on student learning and retention. While the total number of unique students utilizing tutoring and supplemental instruction decreased slightly during pandemic-induced remote learning, the students who used these services generally made more online visits per person than students who took advantage of in-person tutoring before the pandemic. Although transitioning fully to online tutoring was not without difficulties, we have seen evidence of improved engagement among students and tutors made possible by some of the virtual processes we have put in place. In this article, we discuss these findings in terms of high-impact educational practices and consider what comes next with online tutoring and student engagement as we return to largely face-to-face classes and student support programs for the fall.