COVID-19 Vaccine Motivation and Hesitancy among a Sample of African American, Afro-Caribbean, and African Respondents in the United States

Abstract

Understanding the motivations and decisions behind COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is crucial for designing targeted public health interventions to address vaccine hesitancy. We conducted a qualitative analysis to explore COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among diverse ethnic subgroups of Black Americans in the United States. This study investigates the 2021–2022 responses of 79 African American, Afro-Caribbean, and African respondents over the age of 18 in Washington State and Texas. Respondents were asked “Do you plan to get the COVID-19 vaccination?” Qualitative responses were analyzed by content category and ethnic subgroup. Of the 79 responses, 60 expressed favorable perceptions, 16 expressed unfavorable perceptions, and 3 expressed neutral perceptions. Dominant categories among participants in favor of the vaccine included personal health (26), concern for health of family/or community members (13), and desire to protect others (11). Among the 42 vaccinated African American respondents, the primary motivation was personal health (20). The 12 unvaccinated African American respondents cited fear of side effects as their dominate motivation. Caribbean respondents cited family or elders as motivation for their decision. African respondents were nearly unanimous in taking the vaccine (13/16), citing trust in health care, protecting friends and family, and personal health as reasons. Community and personal relationships were critical decision-making factors in accepting the COVID-19 vaccine, with African Americans having the strongest hesitancy.