Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 Phased Vaccine Eligibility on COVID-19 Vaccine Intent among African Americans in Southeastern Louisiana: A Community-Based, Cohort Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of eligibility for the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at the time of the vaccine rollout as a predictor of vaccine intent within the African American community. Methods: Four hundred eighty-seven African American participants in southeastern Louisiana were surveyed from January-April of 2021, with follow-up surveys occurring in Fall 2021. Survey domains included demographics, vaccine hesitancy, discrimination in the healthcare setting, and knowledge and experiences with COVID-19. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were performed. Results: Participants eligible for the vaccine were 1.61 times as likely to express positive vaccine intent versus ineligible participants. Additional predictors of vaccine intent were age, insurance status and coverage, and female sex at birth. In the multivariable logistic analysis, eligible individuals were 2.07 times as likely to receive the vaccine versus ineligible individuals. Conclusions: Vaccine eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine was a significant predictor of intent to vaccinate in the African American community. Younger individuals were less likely to have a positive intent, correlating with the eligibility of ages 16+ occurring 5 months post-vaccine approval.