Research on health communication can inform better vaccine messaging to the remaining vaccine holdouts. While forceful and direct messages encouraging vaccination may have been successful with the majority of U.S. adults, this same messaging may backfire on holdouts. Instead, well-intentioned, forceful messaging may be perceived as a threat to free will and trigger “reactance”— where… Read more »
Category: Vaccination
Pathways to increasing vaccination uptake in Native communities
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
Longstanding inequities, community factors, and federal underinvestment in Native American public health has caused disproportionate harm to Native American communities throughout the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, Native nations have undertaken effective vaccination campaigns, resulting in higher vaccination rates among Native populations than among other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.… Read more »
Covid infections and deaths drop to lowest rates in a year
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
New COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in rural counties, and in all Maine counties except Somerset, cases are under 100 per 100,000 residents – the lowest they have been since the pandemic started. These numbers continue to decline with vaccination uptake and more people spending time outside, where the virus is less likely to… Read more »
West Virginia offers $100 incentive to young people who get vaccinated
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
To encourage older youth and young adults to get a vaccine, the state of West Virginia is offering a $100 incentive, funded with CARES Act dollars. On Monday, April 26 Governor Jim Justice announced that any person ages 16-35 who gets, or has gotten, a COVID-19 vaccine will receive a $100 savings bond. After a… Read more »
Rural seniors trail urban counterparts in vaccinations
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
National Public Radio has analyzed county-level vaccine data from the CDC to examine rural-urban disparities. Analysis shows that the share of adults vaccinated in rural and urban counties is generally similar; however, among people age 65 or older, most states have higher vaccination rates in urban counties than in rural. In Maine, the vaccination rate… Read more »
Manchester, New Hampshire works to vaccinate underrepresented populations
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
New Hampshire has set aside a quantity of COVID-19 vaccines for underrepresented populations and health care providers in Manchester are working to eliminate barriers and deploy these vaccines. Primary care providers at Catholic Medical Center are identifying and making home visits to folks with transportation challenges, limited broadband access, or who otherwise might have a… Read more »
Counties tackle transportation challenges for residents seeking vaccines
Posted by Andy Colvin (Staff Admin) & filed under .
The National Association of Counties highlights the efforts some counties have undertaken to shift public transit resources to transporting residents to vaccination sites. Some counties have utilized rural transit dollars allocated via the CARES Act while other places are leveraging pandemic related reductions in public transit ridership to dedicate vehicles and drivers to the effort.… Read more »