Background: Preventing morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 requires reaching diverse communities. In the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted people of color including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). To prevent severe illness and deaths from COVID-19, it is essential to reach diverse communities to raise awareness about measures like COVID-19 vaccination and participation in clinical therapeutic trials. Some surveys have found AANHPI are willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines, but they may have limited survey language accessibility, did not disaggregate data, or did not investigate specific reasons
Purpose: To identify facilitators and barriers to COVID-19 immunization and COVID-19 clinical trial participation in the vaccinated Vietnamese American population in Houston, TX.
Methods: Community-based qualitative study using focus groups were held in both Vietnamese and English. Key informant interviews were conducted with faith leaders, healthcare workers, and business owners.
Results: Themes that emerged included culturally appropriate language, generational differences, and a collectivist approach. Reported facilitators for COVID-19 vaccines included fear of illness or death from COVID-19, trusted science behind the vaccine, and ease of access to get vaccinated. Trusted sources of information included medical professionals, faith-based organizations, and the government. Barriers for vaccinations included inequalities in initial vaccine distribution, fears related to misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety, side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, and stigma of being vaccinated in their community. Barriers that prevented clinical trial participation in the community included lack of trust in the government, time, and knowledge about clinical trials.
Conclusion: Promoting science-based information through trusted messengers, improving awareness and access, and illuminating benefits to the community could increase uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and volunteering for therapeutic trials among Vietnamese Americans. Additionally, to increase therapeutic trial involvement, participants suggested underscoring the benefit of research on the community, raisin awareness in Vietnamese, and providing monetary compensation. This is consistent with previous research that found focusing on altruistic messages from a physician of the same nationality and/or spoke the same language may motivate clinical trial participation in AANHPI. These findings can help public health departments and community-based organizations working with this population develop effective messages.
