Barriers to, and Facilitators of, SARS-COV2 Vaccine Uptake Among Indigenous Peoples Living in Canada and the United States
Date:
Conference Presentation at Vaccination in Racialized and Indigenous Communities in Canada: Forecasting Trust, Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CA
With Mary Jessome.
Co-authors: Kimberly R. Huyser, Katherine A. Collins, Mary G. Jessome, Tamara Chavez, and Michelle Johnson-Jennings.
Abstract:
SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) boosters maintain the efficacy of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, ensuring that the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island remain healthy as COVID-19 becomes endemic.1,2 Despite their importance to public health, booster uptake remains low across many population groups, including Indigenous Peoples, leaving health researchers and practitioners without the disaggregated data necessary to make evidence-based decisions about vaccine campaigns. Data from the binational Hearing Indigenous Voices Survey (HIS) aids in addressing this paucity, revealing country-level differences in the profile of Indigenous Peoples receiving at least one COVID-19 booster based on demographic differences and location of receiving a booster. A non-representative sub-sample of 538 self-identified respondents living in Canada (n=275) and the United States of America reveals that age and socio-economic status are the factors influencing booster uptake among Indigenous Peoples living in Canada (P<.001) and and the United States of America (P<0.05). Demographic differences also inform where Indigenous Peoples living in the United States receive their booster vaccinations, with women, gender diverse and racialized individuals reporting receiving their booster at a pharmacy (P<0.05). This compares to men who more commonly reported receiving their mRNA boosters at doctor’s offices, hospitals, or medical clinics (P<0.05). While further research is needed, initial findings highlight important considerations for health researchers and practitioners. In both Canada and the United States of America, more effort can be put towards ensuring that young people and those without enough money to meet one’s basic needs are targeted in booster vaccination campaigns. Evidence also suggests it may be important to tailor research and health services based on gender and whether one is racialized as Indigenous, targeting different service locations as appropriate.