A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among 

Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases | April 6, 2021
2

A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

How to Use the Guide for Community Partners 

The Guide for Community Partners is a resource for organizations with community-level reach that are 

looking to get engaged in or support COVID-19 vaccination confidence and access in racial and ethnic 

minority communities.

If you are looking to: 

Find potential strategies, interventions, and 

ready-made messages and materials to use, 

look to: 

• Page 7 for potential needs in the community 

regarding vaccine confidence and access

• Page 9 for potential strategies and 

interventions that increase vaccination 

confidence and uptake in racial and ethnic 

minority communities

• Page 12 for potential challenges with 

implementation of vaccination efforts 

• Page 14 for a list of ready-made resources and

toolkits for community partners

• Page 16 for example questions to gather 

feedback from community members

For information on who and how to connect 

with others on efforts to increase COVID-19 

vaccination confidence and access in 

communities, look to: 

• Page 3 to learn more about issues related to 

vaccine access and hesitancy in racial and 

ethnic minority communities

• Page 4 for an overview of an approach for 

community partners

• Page 5 for information on funding and other 

opportunities for community partners

• Pages 6, 8, and 13 for additional ways to 

support states, territories, and localities in

vaccination efforts as a community partner
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

What is this guide for? 

What problem does it help address?

What does research show?

Data consistently show health disparities

among racial and ethnic minority groups

relative to White populations, including most 

adult vaccination coverage. These disparities 

persist even when controlling for other 

demographic and socioeconomic factors 

Both historical and current experiences of 

racism and discrimination contribute to

mistrust of the medical system among racial 

and ethnic minority groups.

1

This mistrust extends to vaccines, 

vaccination providers, and the institutions 

that make recommendations for the use of 

vaccines.1 This skepticism, and lack of access, 

also extends to the COVID-19 vaccines.1

State data compiled by the Kaiser Family 

Foundation (KFF) show that COVID-19 

vaccination rates for Black and 

Hispanic/Latinx populations are lower than 

their share of the population and their share 

of COVID-19 cases and deaths in some 

states.1

In January 2021, the federal government funded 64 state, territorial, and local immunization programs 

for COVID-19 vaccination efforts and required 10% of funding to support groups at higher risk of COVID19 and under-resourced communities. As immunization programs continue to get funding to support 

COVID-19 vaccination uptake, the Guide for Community Partners can be used to support organizations 

with community-level reach—who play a critical role in increasing vaccine confidence and access in 

their communities—with delivering or supporting COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

The Guide for Community Partners focuses on racial and ethnic minority communities because of the 

disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on these groups, but it is applicable to other communities that 

may be hard to reach, experience marginalization, discrimination, or disparities in receiving vaccines, 

or demonstrate hesitancy to get vaccines. This guide is complementary to other resources from CDC 

and partner organizations (e.g., CBO COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit, Ad Council) Toolkits).
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Overview: Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Uptake 

To build trust in the COVID-19 vaccines and increase the number of racial and ethnic minorities who get 

the COVID-19 vaccine, organizations with community-level reach that represent, engage, or support 

these populations can use this Guide to get connected to efforts and resources to use as community 

partners.

As seen in Figure 2, this Guide is organized into four sections with information on how community 

partners can:

1. Coordinate regarding available funding and resources 

2. Understand and define needs in the community 

3. Identify the strategies and interventions that could best address and support those needs 

4. Implement and monitor vaccination efforts (including by collecting data by race and ethnicity) to 

improve confidence and access

Note: This Guide uses the term vaccine “confidence” to address both people’s trust in vaccines

(“hesitancy”) and people’s desire to protect against the risks of COVID-19 (“complacency”).i

 

Figure 1: A community-driven approach for community partners 
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Coordinate with federal agencies and state, territorial, and 

local health departments for funding, learning and data 

support, and other resources 

Immunization programs will allocate funding to local health departments and/or community partners

to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in communities of focus. A community of focus can be a 

specific racial or ethnic minority group in a specific geographic area. As COVID-19 vaccination efforts and 

supply differ by state; partners and efforts should be tailored not only to the community of focus but 

also to local guidelines.

ii

To support these efforts, community partners can

• Look through Funding Opportunities, right, for 

information on specific activities for funding. 

o Consider: Is the organization a connector,

connecting community members to 

services and information, and/or a

vaccination site host, working with local 

health departments or other partners to 

host a vaccination site? 

• Reach out to, or use relationships with, relevant 

immunization programs and local health 

departments to understand available funding and 

resources for activities to support or lead.

• Reach out to or engage with local pharmacies

and Community Health Centers to understand 

their vaccine supply and determine if they could 

partner to engage the community. 

• If able, share information with immunization 

programs and local health departments on:

o What communities should be prioritized

for support—immunization programs can 

receive data analysis support from CDC to 

identify disproportionately affected 

communities; however, community 

partners can also use publicly available 

data (see Appendix B) or other local or 

qualitative data. 

o What other community partners should 

be involved or engaged— community 

partners may have deeper networks in the 

community to also engage (see Appendix 

C for additional ideas).

Funding Opportunities

Funding to build vaccine confidence and 

connect communities with vaccination 

providers.

• Funding from state, territorial, and 

local immunization programs and 

health departments: 

o Connect with relevant 

immunization programs and 

local health departments.

o Review COVID-19 Vaccination 

Supplemental Funding Guidance

and any future guidance for 

eligible activities for funding.

o Review Appendix A for activities 

CDC is funding through new 

grant programs for national

partners and CBOs to build 

vaccine confidence.

• Other funding opportunities: 

o CDC’s Center for State, Tribal, 

Local, and Territorial Support -

Strengthening Public Health 

Systems and Services through 

National Partnerships to 

Improve and Protect the 

Nation's Health

o HHS’ Office of Minority Health -

Advancing Health Literacy to 

Enhance Equitable Community 

Responses to COVID-19
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

 

A: Understand and define needs in the community 

In addition to accessing available funding, community partners can play an essential role in identifying

the unique needs in the community regarding COVID-19 vaccine confidence (Do community members 

want to get vaccinated?) and access (Can community members easily get vaccinated?).

To drive these efforts, community partners can

• Use available resources and tools to 

help define specific vaccine confidence, 

access, and uptake needs in the 

community —such as CDC’s COVID-19 

Vaccine Confidence Rapid Community 

Assessment (RCA) Guide

• See Page 7 on Defining Needs for 

Confidence and Access in the 

Community — this is a noncomprehensive list of potential needs in 

the community, which should ultimately 

be defined by and specific to the 

community and validated by community 

members or organizations. 

• Participate in convenings and focus 

groups/surveys hosted by immunization 

programs or local health departments to

help understand and define needs.

• Share insights on the needs and 

experiences in the community of focus:

o

o

o

o

o

o

What does the community need

to increase COVID-19 vaccination? For example, how close are the nearest vaccination 

sites? Do community members have access to cars or public transportation to reach 

COVID-19 vaccination sites? 

What beliefs, attitudes, misinformation, or lived experiences drive these needs? For 

example, did community members have negative experiences with COVID-19 testing or 

fear they can get COVID-19 from the vaccines? 

What gaps or questions in information exist? For example, do community members 

have concerns about the vaccines’ side effects or long-term risks, or can those without a 

primary care provider get their questions answered by a healthcare professional?

Where are community members most likely or willing to get vaccinated? For example, is 

there a community center or health clinic that they can easily access and trust? 

What services does the community access frequently that could be used to promote and 

offer COVID-19 vaccination? 

Given historical discrimination and mistrust among racial and ethnic minority groups, 

what other needs might exist to gain trust in the medical and public health system?
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Defining Needs for COVID-19 Vaccination Confidence and Access in the 

Community 

Potential Needs in the Community Considerations

Confidence: 

Do community 

members want 

to get 

vaccinated?

• Clear, transparent, and consistent

information that addresses specific 

misinformation or concerns, such as 

vaccine side effects or risk, and 

promotes the benefits of 

immunization

• Tailored materials that are easy to 

read and available in different forms 

and in the predominant languages 

• Platforms for dissemination that are 

used by people in the community and 

include, but do not solely rely on, the 

Internet and social media

• People in materials and leading

outreach efforts who look like, are 

known to, and can collect inputs from

those in the community

Information and 

Materials

What to share with 

community 

members, such as 

information on 

vaccine safety, side 

effects, or clinic 

sites?

Methods and Platforms

How to share information and materials, such as 

through trusted leaders, behavioral nudges,

billboards, radio stations, or flyers?

Venues and Locations

Where outreach, dissemination, or vaccination 

provider sites should occur, such as at local 

clinics, grocery stores, churches, schools, 

barbershops, or local pharmacies?

Trusted Messengers

Who should share

information, administer

vaccines, and be 

present at vaccination 

sites, such as faith 

leaders or vaccine 

workers that are the 

same race/ethnicity as

the community?

Site Logistics

What logistical considerations could help 

increase confidence and access, such as 

expanding who can work at vaccine sites or 

bundling vaccination with other services?

Access: 

Can

community 

members 

easily get

vaccinated?

• Platforms for information and making 

appointments that are accessible by 

those without Internet, technology,

and digital literacy; and those without 

flexible or predictable work schedules 

to find/make appointments 

• Vaccination sites that are accessible to 

and commonly used by the 

community; within reasonable 

distance to community members; and 

accessible via public transportation or 

other low-cost transportation options

• Flexible hours at call centers and 

vaccination sites

• Clear information about cost,

insurance status, immigration status, 

and options or flexibility for those 

without childcare or paid sick time 

• People working at vaccination sites

look who like those in the community
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

 

B: Identify strategies and interventions for confidence and 

access

If they haven’t already, community partners can help identify strategies and interventions to be 

implemented in their community to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and access. Depending on 

their role, community partners can later lead, contribute to, or advise on implementation.

To drive these efforts, community partners can

• Identify what unique strategies or interventions have been or could be helpful to address the 

specific needs in the community and for the population being served.

o This may look different for each community, geography, and population, and could have 

been previously successful tactics for COVID-19 testing or other health services, such as 

care for chronic health conditions, seasonal flu vaccination, or HIV treatment.

o Discuss questions such as: Which types of interventions has your organization found to 

be particularly successful? Which venues or locations do you recommend using? How 

have you collaborated with other community partners to reach the community?

• Communicate the activities they can best support. 

o This could be connecting community members to information and services, recruiting 

volunteers, hosting a vaccination site, or other activities. 

• Depending on their role, create or contribute to plans for increasing vaccine confidence and 

uptake in the community.

o See Page 9 on Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies and Interventions

for questions and considerations — this is a non-comprehensive list as strategies and 

interventions should ultimately be tailored to specific needs in the community.

• Prioritize activities eligible for federal, state, and local funding where possible—see Page 5 for 

more information on funding.

• Consider potential challenges with implementation. 

o See Page 12 on Potential Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccination for example challenges 

that may arise in implementation and considerations for addressing them. 
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies and Interventions 

Strategies &

Interventions Considerations and Examples

Information and 

Materials: 

What specific 

information and 

materials should be 

tailored and shared 

to address the 

community’s 

needs? 

Cultural Relevance

• Images that include people from or representative of the community

• Information that is transparent, promotes the benefits of and reasons for immunization, and 

addresses community-specific concerns and misinformation, such as vaccine side effects or risk, 

or what will happen at vaccination provider sites (e.g., Black adults may have more concerns 

about vaccine side effects and newnessiii)

• Messaging/tone that is culturally relevant and in predominant languages spoken (e.g., Spanish) 

Information 

• Information on vaccine administration and cost, including who will be delivering vaccine, 

languages offered at vaccination provider sites, how it is free of cost, and personal information to 

be requested (e.g., undocumented and uninsured people may avoid vaccination due to concern 

around language accessibility and insurance requirements)

• Information on the importance of collecting demographic data to understand racial/ethnic 

disparities, as well as on how personal information will be used (e.g., undocumented people may 

be concerned that vaccination sites will request information regarding immigration status)

• Clarity on vaccination provider site hours and locations and available transportation and costs

IN THE COMMUNITY

• Southern Nevada Health District developed a multi-component media campaign in English and 

Spanish and coordinated flu promotional events and provided training to community members,

including promotoras, faith leaders, community health workers, and healthcare providers.iv

• Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico, used data on population 

demographics and health outcomes to inform their program planning, specifically to focus on 

geographic areas needing more outreach, communications, and vaccination drives.

v

Methods and 

Platforms: 

What methods and 

platforms should be 

used to disseminate 

messages and 

conduct outreach? 

Information Dissemination 

• Flyers, postcards, ads, or outreach at popular or common community sites – larger organizations 

can provide these materials for smaller organizations with less funds to pay for printed materials

• Social media for graphics and information (e.g., popular Twitter accounts, Facebook groups, and

Instagram influencers/accounts in the community) 

• Frequented online platforms, such as newsletters, listservs, journals, local news, and websites 

• Text message campaigns to promote vaccination benefits and information 

• Text and call reminders to share information about vaccination appointments/eligibility 

• Opportunities for community dialogue, including town halls, and Q&A and small group sessions 

with community leaders and healthcare providers that look like and come from the community 

People

• Public outreach and community engagement by trusted messengers

• Popular radio or TV stations in the community, to share updates and information

• Conversations between community members and trusted healthcare staff at clinics/pharmacies 

IN THE COMMUNITY

• Southern Connecticut State University produced and displayed culturally appropriate messages 

in frequented locations, such as bike share stations, billboards, newspapers, and calendars.

vi

• Montgomery Area Community Wellness Coalition shared an article and handouts about flu 

promotion in “The Alabama Nurse,” a quarterly publication distributed to all Nursing Association 

members in the state, to reach more healthcare staff directly.

vii
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies and Interventions 

Strategies & 

Interventions Considerations and Examples 

Venues and 

Locations: 

What 

venues/locations

should be used to 

disseminate

messages, conduct 

outreach, and 

deliver COVID-19

vaccines?

Community-wide

• Frequented community centers and spaces (e.g., barbershops/salons, grocery stores, corner 

stores, recreational centers or courts, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Club) 

• Faith-based institutions (e.g., churches, mosques, synagogues)

• Schools and other educational institutions (e.g., local schools, HBCUs)

• Locations where community members access other social or community services

Health-specific

• Pharmacies in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, including local/independent pharmacies 

• Local health clinics/centers or Federally Qualified Health Centers

• Mobile clinics or temporary/off-site clinics (e.g., mobile vans, ambulance services)

• Employers where community members work, especially frontline essential workers

IN THE COMMUNITY

• In Brooklyn, NY, the local government opened tailored vaccine pop-up sites at the Red Hook 

Houses, two connected public housing complexes, to provide more equitable access to COVID-19 

vaccines. The pop-up site will later move to other public housing complexes in other boroughs.viii

• In Fairfax, Virginia, county officials are engaging community organizations and churches to help 

provide transportation for community members to vaccination sites.ix

Trusted 

Messengers:

Who should be 

engaged to 

disseminate 

messages, conduct 

outreach, and play 

a role in vaccine 

administration?

Community Messengers

• Local radio, TV, and social media personalities/influencers 

• Local businesses, groups, or organizations that community members engage with

• Local chapters of legacy civil rights organizations or Black fraternities and sororities 

• Neighborhood or recreational groups

• Employers where community members work

• Volunteers or residents from nearby nursing or medical programs that serve/represent the 

community 

• Local or national celebrities that the community trusts or supports 

Local Healthcare Messengers 

• Trusted providers and staff from local health centers/clinics and pharmacies

• Trusted community leaders (e.g., barber/salon shop owners, local officials, pastors, local leaders)

• Racially concordant providers and staff (e.g., having vaccine workers and messengers that are 

the same race/ethnicity as those in the community)

IN THE COMMUNITY

• The Live Chair Health program trains barbers to discuss chronic health issues that 

disproportionately affect Black community members. The program provided barbershops with 

thermometers and personal protective equipment and trained them on how to engage their 

community in conversations on common COVID-19 symptoms and COVID-19 vaccines.

x

• Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County, IN created a media campaign using local

personalities, including a DJ, newspaper editor, bestselling author, and social media influencer, 

and successfully reached the Black and Hispanic/Latino communities in annual flu campaign.

xi

Site Logistics: 

Site Access

• Nontraditional clinic sites and hours (e.g., nights, weekends) to work around work or family 

responsibilities

• Locations useful for and accessible to community members

• Bundling vaccination with other services community members seek or need 

• Coordinating sites with other community services (e.g., shelters, food banks, churches) 
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies and Interventions 

Strategies &

Interventions Considerations and Examples

What should be 

implemented to 

ensure community 

members have 

access to, 

information about, 

and opportunities 

to receive COVID19 vaccines at

clinics/sites?

• Subsidized and accessible transportation options (e.g., public transportation, partnerships with 

transportation service providers like Uber or Lyft) 

Coordination with Local and State Officials 

• Developing strategies in coordination with the local health department on geographic restrictions (e.g., 

prioritizing sign-ups or locations in under-resourced zip codes), reserving supply for community-based 

sites, and providing alternatives to online portals and instead having healthcare providers reach out to 

community members to schedule appointments

Fostering Trust

• Training/scheduling vaccine workers and translators who are the same race/ethnicity and speak the same

languages

• Leveraging and expanding healthcare staff who can administer vaccines (e.g., EMTs, ambulances) 

• Working with trusted or racially concordant providers or staff to refer people to vaccination sites 

IN THE COMMUNITY

• Albany County, NY formed a partnership with Mohawk Ambulance Service to increase COVID-19 vaccine 

access to homebound seniors and got approval from state officials. Mohawk Ambulance’s mobile 

vaccination trailer can hold up to 8,000 vaccine doses at a time, and the company has also hired an 

additional 50 staff with another 25-50 on standby to help with the effort.xii

• The District of Columbia’s health department and local business districts partnered to offer free COVID-19 

testing to the district’s essential workers. The pop-up testing site was available to hotel staff, restaurant 

workers, building engineers, and other essential workers, and had nontraditional business hours.xiii
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Potential Challenges in COVID-19 Vaccination 

Challenge Considerations In the Community

Community members 

not being able to make 

or secure appointments

Many vaccination clinics operate 

during business hours, 

exacerbating issues with access.

Additionally, vaccine supply 

remains a significant challenge for 

clinics; if vaccination supply is 

limited, local health departments 

can be a resource to help make 

and approve decisions on how to 

increase appointment accessibility 

for specific eligible communities. 

In CT, public health officials identified 50 zip codes with

high vulnerability populations using CDC’s Social 

Vulnerability Index (SVI) – which includes measures of 

language, housing, transportation, poverty unemployment, 

and others. Health officials then asked vaccination providers

to administer at least 25% of doses to residents in those zip 

codes with populations at high risk.

xiv

After receiving feedback from the community, the District of 

Columbia reserved 30% of its doses for residents who use 

the vaccine registration portal and, “the rest for programs,

like church clinics and community centers, that serve 

people without access to reliable healthcare, 

transportation, or technology.”xv

People outside of the 

community consuming 

most or all available 

vaccine appointments 

or supply

Local health clinics or centers that 

usually serve Black or 

Hispanic/Latino communities may 

see people registering for 

available appointments that live 

outside of the community. 

Additionally, those with higher

socioeconomic status or more 

technology access may book 

multiple appointments or fill 

disproportionately more spots. 

Two non-profits in the District of Columbia requested 

permission from the local health department to opt out of 

the online registration portal and start scheduling 

appointments on their own with their own community 

members, prioritizing eligible community members and 

seniors who were most at risk.xvi Two weeks after the nonprofit began this approach, the percent of vaccinations given 

to Black community members rose from 22% to 75%.

xvii

Online registration 

systems are 

inaccessible to 

community members, 

or do not have enough 

appointments available

Online registration systems have 

created challenges for older 

community members, people with 

low digital literacy, and people

without regular access to 

technology. 

Many states and local health departments are taking a 

multi-faceted approach to vaccination registration. Setting 

up mechanisms for online registration, in-person 

registration, and a call center can increase access to those 

who don’t have or use the Internet, as well as address 

challenges with online systems related to high volume or 

other difficulties.

xviii,xix

Heavy or inflexible 

requirements for other 

community partners to 

support efforts

Community partners may have 

different knowledge or capacity to 

reach the community, disseminate 

messages, or host vaccination 

provider sites. Too many inflexible

requirements for what community 

partners must have, do, or report 

may limit the ability or trust of 

those partners to participate. 

As many vaccination clinics may face constraints with 

capacity, hours, staff, and more, engaging other community 

leaders to support vaccination efforts, such as EMT 

workers or faith leaders, can increase access.

xx However, 

these partners should define upfront what their capacity, 

flexibility, and resources are to support COVID-19 

vaccination efforts. Additional approvals may be needed at 

the local or state level to ensure requirements for 

vaccination clinics can be met.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

 

C: Implement and monitor strategies and interventions 

Depending on their role, community partners can 1) use available funding, COVID-19 vaccine supply,

and other forms of non-monetary support from immunization programs, local health departments, and 

other partners to implement their identified strategies and interventions; and 2) play an integral role in 

collecting required data and real-time feedback directly from the community. The urgent and 

unprecedent nature of the COVID-19 pandemic means collecting, learning from, and quickly acting on all 

the data generated will be critical to supporting racial and ethnic minority communities. 

To drive these efforts, community partners can:

• Access resources from CDC, immunization programs, and local health departments. 

o See Page 5 for more information on funding, and Page 14 on Resources for 

Implementing and Monitoring COVID-19 Vaccination for resources. 

• Leverage non-monetary support from state or local health departments, which could include:

o Providing feedback on plans, strategies, activities, resources, and measures and 

outcomes

o Providing support in compiling, analyzing, and storing data 

o Sharing or disseminating promising or effective ideas and materials across partners 

o Addressing issues or challenges with vaccine supply or vaccine appointment registration 

o Helping with or providing necessary approvals 

o Providing access to contacts or experts

• Coordinate with local officials on the required data to collect and how community partners 

are best able to help given their capacity — this may include discussing the importance of 

collecting data on race and ethnicity with community members.

• Join frequent touchpoints with relevant immunization programs, local health departments, 

and other community partners to share, learn from, and make changes based on data.

o CDC plans to provide support for this to the 64 state, territorial, and local immunization 

programs through data technical assistance and support. 

o Discuss questions like: What racial/ethnic disparities exist? Are there disparities in who 

signs up to receive a vaccine or who shows up for appointments? Are there 

communities receiving more or less vaccine than planned? What interventions or sites 

are effective or promising? Are there community groups/leaders that are effective at 

outreach in the community? How are most people hearing about the vaccines?

• If data show some communities are receiving less vaccinations than others, consider collecting

anecdotal information directly from community members in a low-burden way. 

o See Page 16 on Example Questions for Community Members for ideas of different 

questions to ask—community partners can consider starting a community ambassador 

program or using social media monitoring, surveys, or conversations with community 

members and people involved at the local level.

• As new data findings suggest changes are needed, quickly revise strategies, engage new 

partners or vaccination sites, and/or engage additional communities.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Resources for Implementing and Monitoring COVID-19 Vaccination 

Resource Description

Community-Based 

Organizations COVID19 Vaccine Toolkit

Toolkit with ready-touse messages, posters, 

stickers, social media 

messages, graphics and 

more to help educate 

community members 

about COVID-19 

vaccines and address 

common questions.

Available in English and 

Spanish.

COVID-19 Vaccination 

Communication 

Toolkit

Toolkit for medical centers, 

clinics, pharmacies, and 

clinicians to use or adapt 

ready-made materials to build 

confidence about COVID-19 

vaccination among healthcare 

teams and other staff. The 

toolkit is also shared on

BlackDoctor.org.

Communication 

Resources for COVID19 Vaccines

Multiple communication and social media toolkits geared 

toward the general public, healthcare professionals, and 

employers and community leaders to find resources to guide 

vaccination planning and communication resources for specific 

populations. 

Plain Writing at CDC Tips for communicating public health information in plain 

writing to the public. 

Training Programs 

and Reference 

Materials for 

Healthcare 

Professionals

Immunization training and educational materials, including 

basic and COVID-19-vaccine-specific information, for 

healthcare professionals administering COVID-19 vaccines.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

COVID-19 Vaccine 

FAQs for Healthcare 

Professionals

Series of FAQs and resources on vaccines, storage and 

handling, indications, administration, documentation, and 

safety and efficacy. 

Myths and Facts 

about COVID-19 

Vaccines

List of easy-to-read myths and facts about COVID-19 vaccines. 

This information can be included in materials disseminated to 

community members, as well as at vaccination provider sites.

Consumer Vaccine 

Page 

Resource with FAQ information about COVID-19 vaccines for 

consumers, and a tool that allows people to select their state 

and get information on where/how to get vaccinated.

Developing 

Partnerships and 

Coalitions to Advance 

Health Equity

Guide with ideas and strategies to develop diverse and 

effective partnerships and coalitions to advance health equity. 

Includes a checklist of questions for self-assessment.

FEMA Community 

Vaccination Centers 

Playbook

Playbook with guidance to 

support state, tribal and 

territorial Community 

Vaccination Centers (CVCs). This 

may include interagency 

coordination, resource support, 

facility setup, and other 

requirements. Available in 

English and Spanish.

Racial Equity Toolkit 

to Assess Policies, 

Initiatives, Programs, 

and Budget Issues

Toolkit by the 

Seattle Race and 

Social Justice 

Initiative that 

provides a 

process and set of 

questions to 

guide 

development, 

implementation, and evaluation of efforts to advance racial 

equity, including vaccinations. An assessment worksheet, data 

resources, and a glossary are included.

Ad Council Toolkits 

for Black, 

Hispanic/Latino, and 

Faith Communities

Community-specific toolkits for Black, Hispanic/Latino, faith, 

public health, and employer communities with messaging 

tips, FAQs and other resources to help organizations increase

confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

Example Questions for Community Members 

Individuals Information to Gather – Sample Questions

People to be vaccinated 

for COVID-19 who are

receiving outreach and 

communication 

materials 

• Have you heard about the COVID-19 vaccines and ways to receive one? If so, how? 

• How did the communication make you think or feel? 

• Do you feel the language and information was easy to understand? 

• Are there any concerns/obstacles that may still prevent you from getting a COVID-19

vaccine?

• Do you feel you have the information you need to make an appointment and receive a

vaccine?

People who were 

vaccinated who can 

share their experience 

• How did you feel after your first (or second) dose? How did this shape your experience of 

getting vaccinated for COVID-19? 

• Did you feel confident receiving a vaccine? Why or why not? 

• Did you feel confident checking in for the appointment? Why or why not?

• What concerns/fears did you have before getting a vaccine? 

• What helped or changed your mind? 

• How likely are you to make (or go to) your next appointment and receive a second dose? 

Why?

• Did the people giving the vaccine look like people in the community?

Trusted messengers and 

observers disseminating 

outreach or 

administering the 

COVID-19 vaccines

• How did COVID-19 vaccine recipients appear emotionally?

• What questions or feeling did they share? 

• What challenges, if any, did they have or share?

• How likely are they to receive a vaccine (or the follow-up dose, if needed)? 

• Did you experience any barriers to performing your responsibilities? 

• What else did you observe? Do you have any suggested improvements?

People who were 

vaccinated who may

share their experience

with others 

• Did you share information on getting the COVID-19 vaccine with your neighbors, friends, 

and family? If so, what did you share and how did they react? 

• Do you feel you can share how vaccines work to those who don’t know? 

• How likely are you to encourage others to receive a vaccine? 

• When explaining any parts of your experience, what would you mention?
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APPENDIX A

Recent CDC funding for organizations with community-level reach – including activities for CBOs in the 

COVID-19 Vaccination Supplemental Funding to IP19-1901, and CDC-RFA-1P21-2108, “Partnering with 

National Organizations to Support Community-Based Organizations to Increase Vaccination Coverage 

Across Different Racial and Ethnic Adult Populations Currently Experiencing Disparities” – covers 

activities to increase flu and COVID-19 vaccination coverage. A summary of activities relevant to COVID19 is below. 

Work with communities to identify and address drivers of vaccine hesitancy, influential community 

messengers and partners, and community-acceptable approaches for improving vaccination availability, 

accessibility, and acceptability.

• Conduct surveys, interviews, town halls, or focus groups to identify drivers of vaccine hesitancy, 

influential messengers, and community-acceptable approaches.

• Document and share relevant findings from events, conversations, or convenings. 

• Identify common drivers of vaccine hesitancy and collect other key information.

• Based on community interactions and findings, share tangible insights, common challenges, and 

key lessons learned with organization leadership to inform CDC’s and organization's strategies 

for addressing racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination.

Educate and empower trusted voices in the community to support vaccine education and delivery.

• Conduct outreach to community members on COVID-19 vaccination.

• Develop and implement community-based and culturally and linguistically appropriate messages 

that focus on COVID-19 spread, symptoms, prevention and treatment, and benefits of 

vaccination.

• Identify and train trusted community-level spokespeople (e.g., faith leaders, teachers, 

community health workers, radio DJs, local shop owners, barbers) to communicate the burden 

of COVID-19 mitigation and vaccination through local media outlets, social media, faith-based 

venues, community events, and other community-based, culturally appropriate venues.

• Support non-funded local entities by sharing findings and materials.

Build partnerships between vaccination providers (e.g., pharmacies) and the community to increase the 

number, range, and diversity of opportunities for vaccination.

• Connect vaccination providers with places of worship, community organizations, recreation 

programs, food banks/pantries, schools and colleges/universities, fraternities and sororities, 

grocery stores, salons/barbershops/beauticians, major employers, and other key community 

institutions to set up temporary and/or mobile COVID-19 vaccination provider sites, especially in 

high-disparity communities.

• Connect local health departments, community health centers, and/or trusted healthcare 

organizations, including pharmacies, with communities through mobile COVID-19 vaccination 

clinics in communities facing disparities to increase the number, range, and diversity of 

opportunities for vaccination.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

• Build partnerships with healthcare providers to increase provider understanding of the 

populations of interest and interventions to increase vaccination rates for these populations.

• Work with vaccination service providers to expand and train the types of health professionals 

(e.g., community health workers, patient navigators, patient advocates) and administrative staff 

(e.g., front desk workers) engaged in promoting vaccination and increasing referrals of people to 

COVID-19 vaccination provider sites.
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

APPENDIX B

Table 6: Example data sources to use

CATEGORY DATA 

SOURCE 

TITLE

DE SCRIPTION WHAT TO USE FOR HOW TO 

ACCESS

Immunization Jurisdictionlevel 

immunization 

information 

system (IIS) 

data 

All 50 states and the District 

of Columbia have IISs that can 

collect and can generate 

reports of vaccine 

administration data. The 

availability of local-level data 

and data stratified by various 

demographic factors, such as 

race/ethnicity, will vary by 

jurisdiction. 

Low influenza vaccine 

administration data may 

indicate challenges with access 

and/or hesitancy and may be 

used as a proxy for or indicator 

of COVID-19 vaccination 

challenges. 

Health equity concerns may be 

indicated if low vaccine 

administration is observed in 

locations with a substantial 

racial/ethnic minority 

population. 

Varies by 

jurisdiction 

Immunization CDC’s 

FluVaxView

CDC administers surveys to 

generate influenza 

vaccination coverage 

estimates by various 

demographic factors, 

including race/ethnicity, for 

every influenza season. Data 

are available nationally and 

for all 50 states and the 

District of Columbia through 

2019–2020. County-level 

coverage estimates will be 

available soon. 

Low influenza vaccination 

coverage estimates may 

indicate challenges with access 

and/or hesitancy and may be 

used as proxy for or indicator of 

COVID-19 vaccination 

challenges. 

Health equity concerns may be 

indicated if low coverage is 

observed in locations with a 

substantial racial/ethnic 

minority population.

Link to data

 

Immunization State reports 

of school 

vaccination 

requirement 

exemptions

A subset of states publicly 

reported school vaccination 

requirement data—including 

those related to non-medical 

exemptions—at a local level 

(i.e., county, school district, or 

school).

A high rate of non-medical 

exemptions to school 

vaccination requirements may 

indicate general vaccine 

hesitancy within a community. 

In states that allow non-medical 

exemptions, identifying local 

areas with higher exemptions 

may point to the need to focus 

COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Health equity concerns may be 

indicated if a high rate of nonmedical exemptions is observed 

in locations with a substantial 

racial/ethnic minority 

population.

Link to data 
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

COVID-19 

Disease 

Burden

CDC COVID 

Data Tracker

Non-vaccination tabs from the 

CDC COVID Tracker report 

various measures of COVID-19 

disease burden down to the 

county level. 

High COVID-19 disease burden 

may help focus vaccination 

efforts on disproportionately 

affected communities. 

Link to data 

COVID-19 

Disease 

Burden

Health Center 

COVID-19 

Testing 

Dashboard

Weekly health center data of 

total COVID-19 tests 

conducted and positive 

COVID-19 tests by race and 

ethnicity.

High COVID-19 disease burden 

may help focus vaccination 

efforts on specific racial/ethnic 

minority communities.

Link to data

Demographics 

and Social 

Vulnerability 

U.S. Census 

Bureau 

COVID-19 Site 

Impact planning reports and 

demographics at the county 

level. 

Counties with high populations 

of racial/ethnic minority groups, 

as well as other socioeconomic 

demographics, may help focus 

vaccination efforts on specific 

communities.

Link to data 

Demographics 

and Social 

Vulnerability 

Social 

Vulnerability 

Index

CDC index of social 

vulnerability at the county

level using 15 variables to 

measure social vulnerability.

Counties with high vulnerability 

scores may help focus 

vaccination efforts on specific 

communities.

Link to data 

Demographics 

and Social 

Vulnerability 

County Health 

Rankings 

County-level data on 

demographics, health 

outcomes, and health factors 

to better understand 

individual counties.

Counties with low rankings for 

health outcomes and health 

factors may help focus 

vaccination efforts on specific 

communities.

Link to data 

Demographics 

and Social 

Vulnerability 

U.S. Census 

Population 

Data 

Data on population density to 

see what areas have high 

prevalence of racial/ethnic 

minority communities.

Counties with high populations 

of racial/ethnic minority groups, 

as well as other socioeconomic 

demographics, may help focus 

vaccination efforts on specific 

communities.

Link to data 

Demographics 

and Social 

Vulnerability 

HRSA 

Shortage 

Areas 

Data on HRSA’s Health 

Professional Shortage Areas 

(HPSAs) and Medically 

Underserved 

Areas/Populations (MUA/Ps) 

at county level.

Areas with high HPSA or MUA/P 

scores may help focus 

vaccination efforts on specific 

communities. 

Link to data 
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

APPENDIX C

i World Health Organization. (2014, October 01). Report of the Sage Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy. 

Retrieved from 

https://www.who.int/immunization/sage/meetings/2014/october/1_Report_WORKING_GROUP_vaccine_hesitanc

y_final.pdf

ii Simmons-Duffin, S. (2021, February 18). How to Sign Up For A COVID-19 Vaccine In Your State. Retrieved from 

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/02/18/967448680/how-to-sign-up-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-inyour-state

iii Hamel, L., Kirzinger, A., Muñana, C., & Brodie, M. (n.d.). KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: December 2020. 

Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/report/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-december-2020/

iv REACH Program. 

v REACH Program. 

vi REACH Program.

vii REACH Program.

Community partner examples for racial and ethnic minority groups, such as Black and 

Hispanic/Latino communities
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A Guide for Community Partners

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities

viii WCBS 880 Newsroom. (2021, February 21). Pop-up sites bring COVID vaccines to public housing complexes in 

NYC. Retrieved from https://www.radio.com/wcbs880/news/local/pop-up-sites-bringing-covid-vaccines-to-publichousing

ix Fairfax County Health and Human Services (2021, February 24). Fairfax County Health and Human Services 

COVID-19 Response Updates. Retrieved from https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-communityservices/sites/neighborhood-community-services/files/assets/documents/coronavirus/hhs-update.pdf

x Perlow, B., Moton, K. (2021, January 12). Barbershops in Black communities provide information on COVID-19, 

vaccine. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/barbershops-black-communities-provide-informationcovid-19-vaccine/story?id=75198074

xi REACH Program. 

xii Bump, B. (2021, February 3). Mobile vaccination clinics to reach Albany's homebound seniors start this week. 

Retrieved from https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Mobile-vaccination-clinics-to-reach-Albany-s15921605.php

xiii Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser. (2021, January 27). Mayor Bowser Thanks President Biden for Answering the Call 

for More Vaccine. Retrieved from https://mayor.dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-thanks-president-biden-answeringcall-more-vaccine

xiv Brindley, Emily (2021, March 1). Connecticut asks COVID-19 vaccine providers to commit to equity targets, as 

white residents continue to receive shots at higher rates. Received from 

https://www.courant.com/coronavirus/hc-news-coronavirus-vaccine-clinic-equity-targets-20210301-

wtbniw3gxvfhxg64duuafd6yhq-story.html

xv Williams, E. (2021, February 13). Here’s How D.C. Community Health Clinics Have Adjusted To Vaccine Rollout 

Problems. Retrieved from https://dcist.com/story/21/02/13/heres-how-d-c-community-health-clinics-haveadjusted-to-vaccine-rollout-problems/

xvi Williams, E. (2021, February 13). Here’s How D.C. Community Health Clinics Have Adjusted To Vaccine Rollout 

Problems. Retrieved from https://dcist.com/story/21/02/13/heres-how-d-c-community-health-clinics-haveadjusted-to-vaccine-rollout-problems/

xvii Jones, G. (2021, February 26). Opinion: How we’re working toward racial equity in distributing coronavirus 

vaccines in D.C. Retrieved from https://www-washingtonpostcom.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/how-were-working-towardracial-equity-in-distributing-coronavirus-vaccines-in-dc/2021/02/25/13fed062-75e4-11eb-9537-

496158cc5fd9_story.html?outputType=amp

xviii D’Amours, K. (2021, February 6). State call center to help register those eligible for vaccination appointments. 

Retrieved from https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus-local-impact/state-call-center-to-help-registerthose-eligible-for-vaccination-appointments/

xix Barthel, M. (2021, February 12). Virginia Is Revamping Its Vaccine Pre-Registration Process. D.C. Isn’t Far Behind. 

Retrieved from https://dcist.com/story/21/02/12/virginia-is-revamping-its-vaccine-pre-registration-process-d-cisnt-far-behind/

xx Leonhardt, D. (2021, February 17). The Biden administration’s been cautious in its public vaccination goals, but 

experts make a case to speed things up. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/world/the-bidenadministrations-been-cautious-in-its-public-vaccination-goals-but-experts-make-a-case-to-speed-things-up.html