Vaccine Outreach Integrating Community Engagement & Science (VOICES): Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Promoting Uptake among Racialized Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

  • Newman, Peter (PI)
  • Dubey, Vinita V. (CoPI)
  • Massaquoi, Notisha M N.M. (CoPI)
  • Song, Yun-ju Y.-J. (CoPI)
  • Tharao, Wangari E W.E. (CoPI)
  • Bourne, Adam (CoPI)
  • Cameron, Michael M. (CoPI)
  • Fadel, Shaza A. S.A. (CoPI)
  • Forman, Lisa L. (CoPI)
  • Grace, Daniel D. (CoPI)
  • Guta, Adrian (CoPI)
  • Lacombe-duncan, Ashley A. (CoPI)
  • Logie, Carmen (CoPI)
  • Persad, Yasmeen Y. (CoPI)
  • Philbin, Morgan (CoPI)
  • Scarpa, Riccardo R. (CoPI)
  • Stadler, Jonathan James J.J. (CoPI)
  • Strike, Carol Janice C.J. (CoPI)
  • Williams, Charmaine C. (CoPI)

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines is a huge scientific achievement; to be effective, however, people must get the vaccine. With disparities in COVID-19 infections and severe disease outcomes among marginalized populations in Canada, vaccination is crucial; yet racialized sexual and gender minority people are among those least likely to be vaccinated-they are also under-represented in pandemic response planning. Systemic discrimination, economic and health inequities, and past unethical medical research heighten distrust of vaccines and health authorities, posing barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. "Vaccine hesitancy" (VH)-delays in acceptance or refusal of vaccination, even when vaccines are available-is often attributed to anti-vaxxers and 'deficits' in scientific literacy among 'lay people'. However, WHO and leading research emphasize the need to examine multilevel drivers of VH among specific populations and locations-structural factors (e.g. sociocultural, historical, health system, economic); social and community influences (e.g. community norms about vaccination, COVID-19 stigma)-and for specific vaccines, such as COVID-19. VOICES, an ethnoracially-, gender-, and sexually-diverse multidisciplinary team, will apply a Public Understanding of Science framework and mixed methods-an online survey with discrete choice analysis, follow-up community focus groups, and participatory video to: 1) Explore local understandings of COVID-19 and VH among racialized sexual and gender minority communities in the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area; 2) Examine multilevel structural and social factors associated with VH; and 3) Engage with community partners in knowledge mobilization to reduce COVID-19 VH and promote informed decision-making. VOICES will accelerate the availability of high-quality and real-time evidence to support Canada's COVID-19 response by enhancing public and 'expert' understanding, dialogue, and COVID-19 vaccination among marginalized populations.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date4/1/213/31/22

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Decision Sciences(all)
  • Immunology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Health(social science)
  • Cultural Studies
  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Health Informatics

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