NJACTS logoPlease read Dr. Jimenez’ article in JAMA Network titled “Black and Latinx Community Perspectives on COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors, Testing, and Vaccines“.

Key Points Question What are the experiences of Black and Latinx communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how are these experiences associated with their perspectives on COVID-19 mitigation behaviors, testing, and vaccines? Findings This community-engaged qualitative study found that fear, illness, and loss experienced during the pandemic motivated information seeking and mitigation behaviors; vaccine skepticism was high, as was demand for clearer information. Among Black participants, racism and medical experimentation were associated with distrust. Meaning These findings suggest that perspectives on COVID-19 mitigation behaviors, testing, and vaccines among Black and Latinx communities are informed by devastating experiences, and transparent information from public officials is needed to eliminate vaccine skepticism. Read the full Article.

Black and Latinx Community Perspectives on COVID-19 Mitigation Behaviors, Testing, and Vaccines
Manuel E. Jimenez, MD, MS; Zorimar Rivera-Núñez, PhD, MS; Benjamin F. Crabtree, PhD; Diane Hill, PhD; Maria B. Pellerano, MA, MBA, MPH; Donita Devance, MCRP; Myneka Macenat, MPH; Daniel Lima, MSW; Emmanuel Martinez Alcaraz, MD; Jeanne M. Ferrante, MD; Emily S. Barrett, PhD; Martin J. Blaser, MD; Reynold A. Panettieri Jr, MD; Shawna V. Hudson, PhD. July 15, 2021, JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(7):e2117074. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17074

Mentions in the press:

Rutgers Press Release: https://www.rutgers.edu/news/black-latinx-people-confident-covid-19-safety-precautions-skeptical-about-vaccines
Gothamist https://gothamist.com/news/why-njs-vaccine-holdouts-embrace-covid-precautions-but-still-distrust-the-shots
US News & World Report Why Many Black & Hispanic Americans Distrust COVID Vaccines
NJ.com Black, Latino trust in N.J. public health stops at COVID vaccine, study finds
ROI-NJ Underserved communities concerned about COVID – but skeptical about vaccine
JAMA Network Open https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2781957?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=071521
PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34264327/