Identification of best outreach strategies and delivery modalities for population subgroups for COVID-19 vaccination

This observational study examined which characteristics of vaccination events were associated with greater vaccination to help identify which event characteristics and targeted interventions could maximize vaccination participation. In partnership with local health departments, trained research staff attended 184 health department-sponsored vaccination events for an 8-month period from November 7, 2021 through July 1, 2022. Most events were strategically held in ZIP codes where vaccination rates lagged or were much lower than the rest of the county. Over 1400 vaccinated attendees were coded for categories of race (African-American, white, other), sex (male, female), and age (adult vs. child). Analyses compared vaccinations across different event characteristics and sites among these demographic subgroups. Having vaccination events at non-clinic sites, more vaccine stations, offering more incentives, and offering the first vaccine dose was associated with a higher rate of vaccination across sex, race, and age. Outdoor precipitation was associated with a lower rate of vaccination except for females. The rate of vaccination for males was higher at non-clinic sites and increasing vaccination frequency by one day; this was not the case for females. For African-Americans, the rate of vaccination was significantly higher with additional incentives, a relationship not seen with whites. The rate of vaccination for children was higher with each additional vaccination station. Identifying features and details of vaccination events that increase rates of vaccination will add to limited literature of the optimal length and features of future vaccination events. • This paper reports on 184 vaccination events and 1413 vaccinated attendees from 11/7/21–7/1/22. • Having more vaccine stations, more incentives, and the first vaccine dose was associated with higher rates of vaccination. • Outdoor precipitation was associated with lower vaccination numbers for all subgroups except females. • For males, the rate of vaccination was higher at non-clinic sites, and at sites with higher vaccination frequency. • For African-Americans, the rate of vaccination was higher with more incentives, a relationship not seen with whites.