• LeChauncy Woodard, Lauren Gilbert, Ben King, Omolola E Adepoju, Marino A Bruce, Leon McDougle, Aisha Morris Moultry, and Bettina M Beech.
• Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, University of Houston, Health 2 Building, 4849 Martin Luther King Blvd, Houston, TX 77004 US; Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute, University of Houston, Health 2 Building, 4849 Martin Luther King Blvd, Houston, TX 77004 US.
• J Natl Med Assoc. 2023 Feb 1; 115 (1): 536553-65.

ObjectivesRecognizing that the voice delivering the message is as important as the information being shared, we examined vaccine perceptions and willingness to encourage patients to obtain COVID-19 vaccinations among Black and Hispanic healthcare providers.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, online survey of Black and Hispanic healthcare providers who were members of the National Medical Association (NMA), National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA) between January 11 - March 3, 2021, shortly after emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Three multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with the willingness to encourage COVID-19 vaccination.ResultsThe analytic sample consisted of 542 fully completed surveys. Pharmacists reported intent to take the vaccine (75.0% "as soon as you can" vs 91.4% for MD/DOs; p<0.001) and encouraged patients to get vaccinated (78.6% vs 91.0% for MD/DOs; p = 0.01). Providers in a suburban practice location were less likely to recommend vaccines to patients (OR=0.43, 95%CI: 0.22-0.87) and personal family (OR=0.45, 95%CI: 0.22-0.92) compared to those practicing in urban areas. Providers over age 45 were also more likely to report intent to take the vaccine themselves as soon as it was available (OR=3.72, 95%CI: 1.30-10.64).ConclusionsThis is likely the first cross-sectional study in the United States demonstrating the substantial vaccine confidence among Black and Hispanic healthcare providers who serve minoritized communities that have borne the greatest risk of adverse COVID-related outcomes.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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