Youth Empowerment Modeling in building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Local Communities

Abstract

Background: Rates of COVID-19 vaccinations among youth remain sub-optimal, particularly among racial and ethnic minority populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center partnered with the vaccination equity initiative of Worcester, Massachusetts and youth-serving organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate a youth led public health campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake.

Methods: Guided by the youth empowerment model to promote behavior change by helping youth reflect, identify, and take action on what is meaningful to them, we created a youth vaccine ambassador public health campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination. Ambassadors were guided through self-reflection of questions, answers and motivations for COVID-19 vaccination. Youth motivations and narratives became the campaign messaging. Youth collaborated to create and disseminate social media, video, and print content to display in local neighborhoods, using social norming approaches to foster youth and family vaccine confidence and vaccination.

Results: We trained nine youth (aged 18- 22 years) as vaccine ambassadors. English/Spanish vaccine messages developed by youth ambassadors were disseminated through social media platforms (n=3), radio (n=2), local TV (n=2), flyers (n=2,086), posters (n=362), billboards (n=7), and local bus ads (n=18). Qualitative youth feedback indicated participation in the campaign was a positive and empowering experience which reinforces the importance of engaging youth in public health messaging.

Discussion: Amplifying youth voices by engaging them to develop and share their personal vaccine stories and motivations facilitated youths’ role as public health messengers. Youth empowerment through storytelling and personal narratives holds promise for future public health campaigns.