UC Merced Undergraduate Research Journal

In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated health disparities among African American and Latinx populations with particularly low vaccination rates. Vaccine hesitancy is a key barrier to African American and Latinx groups from acquiring the COVID-19 vaccine. Studies highlight that contextual influences, individual and group influences, and vaccinespecific influences have prominence in COVID-19 vaccine hesitation. This literature review summarizes COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy characteristics and the health communication strategies that legislators may consider when developing COVID-19 vaccination policies and programs in the United States.

Key Words: literature review, coronavirus disease-19, COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, COVID19 vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, minority health, health disparities