IMPORTANCEThe COVID-19 pandemic has had disproportionate effects on racial and ethnic minority communities, where preexisting clinical and social conditions amplify health and social disparities. Many of these communities report lower vaccine confidence and lower receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine. Understanding factors that influence the multifaceted decision-making process for vaccine uptake is critical for narrowing COVID-19-related disparities.OBJECTIVE To examine factors that members of multiethnic communities at high risk for COVID-19 infection and morbidity report as contributing to vaccine decision-making. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis qualitative study used community-engaged methods to conduct virtual focus groups from November 16, 2020, to January 28, 2021, with Los Angeles County residents. Potential participants were recruited through email, video, and telephone outreach to community partner networks. Focus groups were stratified by self-identified race and ethnicity as well as age. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThemes were categorized by contextual, individual, and vaccine-specific influences using the World Health Organization's Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix categories.RESULTS A total of 13 focus groups were conducted with 70 participants (50 [71.4%] female) who self-identified as American Indian (n = 17 [24.3%]), Black/African American (n = 17 [24.3%]), Filipino/ Filipina (n = 11 [15.7%]), Latino/Latina (n = 15 [21.4%]), or Pacific Islander (n = 10 [14.3%]). A total of 39 participants (55.7%) were residents from high-poverty zip codes, and 34 (48.6%) were essential workers. The resulting themes included policy implications for equitable vaccine distribution: contextual influences (unclear and unreliable information, concern for inequitable access or differential treatment, references to mistrust from unethical research studies, accessibility and accommodation barriers, eligibility uncertainty, and fears of politicization or pharmaceutical industry influence); social and group influences (inadequate exposure to trusted messengers or information, altruistic motivations, medical mistrust, and desire for autonomy); and vaccination-specific influences (need for vaccine evidence by subpopulation, misconceptions on vaccine development, allocation ambiguity, vaccination safety preferences, the importance of perceiving vaccine equity, burden of vaccine scheduling, cost uncertainty, and desire for practitioner recommendation). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this qualitative study, participants reported a number of factors that affected their vaccine decision-making, including concern for inequitable vaccine access.Participants endorsed policy recommendations and strategies to promote vaccine confidence. These results suggest that support of informed deliberation and attainment of vaccine equity will require (continued) Key Points Question What factors do members of multiethnic communities at high risk for COVID-19 infection and morbidity in Los Angeles Co...

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes many anogenital and oral cancers affecting young adults in the United States. Vaccination during adolescence can prevent HPVassociated cancers, but vaccine uptake among adolescents is low and influenced by factors serving as barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccination. In this systematic review, we synthesized research using the socioecological framework model to examine individual-level, relationship-level, community-level, and societal-level factors that influence HPV vaccine initiation and completion among US adolescents. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used to guide the methodology for this review. An electronic search was conducted in January 2020 using PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, ProQuest Central, Scopus, and American Psychological Association PsycInfo databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute tools were used to assess the quality for the 57 studies included in this review. The most consistent influences of HPV vaccination included age at vaccination, awareness, and knowledge about HPV vaccination, socioeconomic status, insurance status, race/ethnicity, and preventative care behaviors at the individual level. Provider recommendation, familial/peer support of vaccination, and parental health behaviors were influences at the relationship level. Although fewer findings elucidated community-level and societal-level influences, high-poverty areas, high-risk communities with large proportions of racial/ethnic minority groups, healthcare facilities servicing children, and combined health policies appear to serve as facilitators of HPV initiation and completion. Findings from this review can inform culturally relevant and age-specific interventions and multi-level policies aiming to improve HPV vaccination coverage in the United States.

Objective. Latino adults in Los Angeles have experienced disproportionate cases, deaths, and socioeconomic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to explore community perspectives on readiness for COVID-19 vaccination and to identify culturally tailored vaccine outreach strategies. Methods. We conducted virtual focus groups with Los Angeles County Latino/a residents via Zoom between December 2020 to January 2021, as the first COVID-19 vaccines were receiving Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Focus groups were facilitated in Spanish and English by bilingual members of the research team. Discussions were analyzed via Atlas.ti software using reflexive thematic analysis. Results. Three focus groups (n = 15; four to six people each; two Spanish focus groups; one English) were conducted. Thematic findings centered on Latino COVID-19 vaccine equity: (1) Disproportionate infection risk due to essential worker status and socioeconomic burdens, misinformation, and familial or cultural tensions (2) Concerns for inequitable vaccine access due to immigration fears and limited healthcare access, and (3) A need for community-centered COVID-19 vaccine outreach and access. Conclusions. Our study on early Latino adult reactions to vaccine roll-out suggests the need for outreach strategies centering on validating community hardships, combating dis-/misinformation through trusted sources, and addressing socio-economic needs impacted by the pandemic.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 causes 66% of cervical cancers (Dunne et al., 2014). Vaccination during adolescence can prevent HPV-associated cervical cancers, yet less than half of adolescent girls are vaccinated. This study examined the association between HPV knowledge and parental intentions to vaccinate daughters against HPV. A retrospective, cross-sectional, national data set from the 2006-2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was used. A multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the association between intent to vaccinate and HPV knowledge. After controlling for other covariates, parents who were knowledgeable were more likely to intend to have their daughters vaccinated compared with those who were not knowledgeable (adjusted relative risk ratio [aRRR] = 3.96, p = .004). Having HPV knowledge would significantly increase parents' intent for vaccination against the disease for their daughters. Health care providers should integrate HPV-related education for parents within their services, and policymakers should consider requiring HPV vaccination for school attendance.

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Objective: To explore factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among Black adults at high-risk for COVID-19 infection. Despite effective treatment and vaccination availability, Black Americans continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.Design, Setting, and Participants: Using community-engaged qualitative methods, we conducted virtual, semi-structured focus groups with Black residents in Los Angeles County before widespread vaccine rollout. Recruitment occurred through local com­munity partners.Methods: As part of a larger study exploring COVID-19 vaccine decision-making factors among multiethnic groups, two-hour virtual focus groups were conducted between December 15, 2020 and January 27, 2021. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.Main Outcome Measures: Themes and subthemes on factors for vaccine confi­dence and accessibility.Results: Three focus groups were con­ducted with 17 Black participants, who were primarily female (n=15), residents of high-poverty zip codes (n=11) and employed full-time (n=6). Black-specific considerations for vaccine confidence and accessibility include: 1) reduced confidence in COVID-19 vaccines due to historical gov­ernment inaction and racism (existing health inequities and disparities are rooted in rac­ism; historical unethical research practices); 2) misunderstanding of Black communities’ vaccine concerns (“vaccine hesitancy” as an inaccurate label to describe vaccine skepti­cism; ignorance to root causes of vaccine skepticism); and 3) recognizing and building on resources (community agency to address COVID-19 vaccine needs adequately).Conclusions: Vaccination campaigns should improve understanding of underlying vac­cination concerns to improve vaccine out­reach effectiveness and should partner with, provide resources to, and invest in local, trusted Black community entities to improve COVID-19 vaccination disparities.Ethn Dis. 2022;32(4):341-350; doi:10.18865/ed.32.4.341