Addressing racial/ethnic inequities in vaccine hesitancy and uptake: lessons learned from the California alliance against COVID-19.

Lack of trust in biomedical research, government, and health care systems, especially among racial/ethnic minorities and under-resourced communities, is a longstanding issue rooted in social injustice. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted existing health and socioeconomic inequities and increased the urgency for solutions to provide access to timely, culturally, and linguistically appropriate evidence-based information about COVID-19; and ultimately to promote vaccine uptake. California's statewide alliance STOP COVID-19 CA (comprising eleven sites), leverages long standing community partnerships to better understand concerns, misinformation, and address racial/ethnic inequities in vaccine hesitancy and uptake. Using data from the California CEAL Communication Working Group, we demonstrate the wide range of strategies, communication methods, languages, and trusted messengers that have been effective in reaching diverse communities across the state. We also showcase challenges and lessons learned, such as the importance of including trusted community partners to share information or provide vaccines. These approaches, rooted in community engagement, are crucial for addressing inequities and responding to future public health emergencies.

Health equity approach to statewide outreach to under-resourced communities during COVID

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Despite a disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority and under-resourced communities, nearly all COVID-19 resources have only been online in English. A statewide coalition of community and academic partners used community-engaged strategies to provide tailored outreach to diverse populations. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The STOP COVID-19 CA statewide team had a workgroup focused on communications. Members of this group represented different sectors, racial/ethnic groups, disciplines, and regions across the state. They had regular meetings to discuss and strategize how to overcome the impact of historic and structural racism on access to COVID-19 resources, including testing, vaccines, and protective equipment. The team also shared regular updates about changes in community concerns and needs as well as new, tailored resources. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Together, the team has been able to reach diverse populations across the state, including providing information about COVID-19 in multiple languages and formats, from radio to virtual town halls to local health fairs. The multiple sites also increased access to vaccines and testing through trusted community leaders and locations, including church-based locations to bringing vaccines and testing directly to workplaces. These community pop-up vaccination sites have helped to vaccinate large numbers of diverse populations, some of whom were initially unsure about getting the vaccine, which has helped to reduce the gaps in community vaccination rates by race/ethnicity. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This network of community-engaged strategies utilized for rapid COVID-19 response could also be used to for responses to future public health emergencies, addressing chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), or even other complex issues that affect society and health (e.g., climate change).