AL CEAL partners with Black churches to engage community

In 2021, the COVID-19 vaccination rate among Black residents of Jefferson County, Alabama, was lower than the overall county-wide rate. Research indicated that mistrust was a barrier to vaccination, and pastors and churches were the most trusted source of COVID-19 information among these residents.

With support from the National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics program, researchers from the Alabama CEAL Regional Team partnered with Black churches in the county to carry out a vaccination education program. Educational resources were developed and rolled out as part of a 12-week implementation plan that included town halls, workshops, partner collaboration, and vaccination clinics. After implementation, interviews with clergy and staff indicated that some residents were uninterested in participating in the program because they felt it was too late, and the urgency around COVID-19 safety, prevention, and vaccination had passed. Clergy and staff also felt they needed to engage younger community members and teens because these groups were less interested in being vaccinated.

“…[F]aith-based partners with robust health ministries, working in collaboration with the public health community, can rapidly launch a public health campaign and yield positive results in information delivery.” American Journal of Public Health, May 2024

Researchers summarized that churches are influential in the community and offer an essential infrastructure for community engagement. Additionally, they observed that program implementation may have occurred during a time of COVID-19 burnout, and future efforts may need to include a greater focus on reaching young people.

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