Increasing Vaccinations Among African American Adults

University of Alabama at Birmingham: Center for Health Promotion

Topics:
Aging & Elderly Health | Immunization

Immunization rates for older African Americans are substantially lower than for the general, older adult population. Researchers are examining factors—including lack of knowledge of the need for immunization, misconceptions about vaccines, lack of recommendations from health care providers, negative patient attitudes, and shortages of effective programs for vaccine delivery—that may affect the likelihood that older African Americans will receive vaccinations. Using the Nominal Group Technique, researchers led sessions with older African American and white participants from both rural and urban areas of Alabama to identify and rank the major deterrents to their receiving vaccinations. The results from these sessions were used to develop and test a questionnaire, appropriate for low-literacy levels, with which to assess the barriers to and incentives for vaccination. The questionnaire is being expanded into a national survey of a representative sample of older African American and white adults which will be used to identify racial differences in factors associated with the likelihood of being vaccinated.

 

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