More Community Engagement Needed to Improve Vaccination Rates

In the current issue of Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, public health experts assert that improved community engagement is needed to prevent the spread of pandemics. The observations are based on an assessment of distribution and vaccination trends for the H1N1 vaccine in Los Angeles County in 2009, with a special focus on the African-American community.

"Despite targeted outreach and education efforts in African American communities in Los Angeles County, African Americans participated at a much lower rate in free public mass vaccination clinics," says Lloyd F. Novick, MD, MPH, editor in chief of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. "Public health officials did not engage trusted leaders within African American communities, which resulted in miscommunication about the importance and safety of the vaccine."

The authors note that while vaccine production and distribution has improved, any under-vaccinated community could experience a greater burden of disease if presented with an especially viral strain of influenza. Engagement strategies need to be adjusted and enhanced based on community culture and needs. In Los Angeles, community leaders including faith-based leaders and radio disc jockeys, were reportedly advised against the vaccine, citing safety issues. Emails and social network sites also shared inaccurate messages about the vaccine. The authors recommend that trust building and collaboration start long before there is any evidence of an impending pandemic.

The January/February issue of Journal of Public Health Management and Practice provides a range of lessons learned from the H1N1 pandemic, with additional articles focused on communications strategies on college campuses, and using public health partnerships to gain accurate information on influenza hospitalizations. The journal can be accessed online, with some articles available at no charge.