Hesitation complicates vaccine goals

May 1—HIGH POINT — Public health advocates here and across the state proclaim one overriding message to North Carolinians who remain hesitant to get vaccinated — it's for your good but also the benefit of society.

But as Gov. Roy Cooper and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services seek to get two-thirds of the state population vaccinated to drop indoor mask restrictions that have been in place since shortly after the onset of the pandemic, they face the task of convincing people with wide-ranging reasons for hesitating.

There are people with political viewpoints, such as conservatives who believe the coronavirus pandemic's threats were ginned up to deny former President Donald Trump a second term in the White House.

Then there are people who are skeptical of the federal government, who don't trust that agencies did thorough enough testing before approving vaccines for emergency use.

There are others skeptical of major pharmaceutical companies and whether full due diligence has been taken in crafting vaccines.

And there are African Americans who are hesitant to get inoculated because of historical injustices in health care, such as the notorious 20th century Tuskegee syphilis experiments in which Black patients were given shots containing syphilis instead of a promised vaccine.

The disparate groups create a morass for public health advocates aiming to reach the goal of two-thirds of North Carolinians having at least one shot of vaccine by June 1, said Dr. Alvin Powell, chief health equity officer with Cone Health.

"It creates a dynamic which is almost impossible to address with one single message," Powell said. "We have to customize the message for the population we are trying to target. It's difficult."

Targeted messaging to different groups — especially the most vulnerable in society — represents the best way to increase the vaccination rate, Powell told The High Point Enterprise.

"That was the strategy targeting patients and health care workers in nursing homes," Powell said.

State public health officials last month announced a full court press across all 100 counties to achieve the inoculation goal. The effort has been dubbed the Bring Summer Back campaign.

In announcing the campaign, public health officials said the vaccination blitz "will engage community organizations across the state to fully vaccinate as many people as possible by summer."

This week, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly 50% of people in the state 18 and older are at least partially inoculated.

National surveys show that on average 13% of Americans won't get vaccinated under any circumstances, said Jordan Smith, assistant professor of clinical sciences at High Point University.

"They are not very swayed by messaging," Smith told The Enterprise. "We might want to concentrate messaging on that 87% of people who are willing and able to get vaccinated."

One key to convincing skeptical people to take a vaccine shot involves enlisting individuals who are close to them, Smith said.

"The numbers are going up as more people have family and friends get vaccinated," he said.

Enlisting trusted local health care providers, such as someone's general physician, also can make a difference, said Dr. Jaleema Speaks, chief of staff with Novant Health at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

Public health advocates shouldn't turn defensive with people expressing hesitancy or skepticism about vaccinations, but engage in an open discussion, Speaks told The Enterprise.

"It really behooves us to have conversations to foster understanding," she said. "It's a matter of just listening and not judging when we hear people's perspectives, not making their experiences less valid."

Vaccination outreach efforts in Guilford County and the greater High Point area may offer an example of how to reach tough-to-reach populations. Local public health advocates are crafting Spanish-language public service announcements to reach the Hispanic community.

Also, YWCA High Point announced last month that it will begin a six-month pilot program to increase the number of vaccinations among people who are hesitant and lack access to transportation.

With funding from the Foundation For a Healthy High Point and Hayden Harman Foundation, and in partnership with the Guilford County Health Department and the city of High Point, YWCA High Point is launching a door-to-door outreach to provide education about the vaccine. The campaign will provide assistance with scheduling appointments and support for transportation to vaccine sites.

"As the opportunity to receive the vaccines has opened up to all adults," said Curtis Holloman, executive director of the Foundation for a Healthy High Point, "it is important for the health department along with its local partners, such as the YWCA and the city of High Point, to reach individuals who may not have had access to the vaccine yet, who may have questions or who may be hesitant."

Staff Writer Cinde Ingram contributed to this report.

[email protected] — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul

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