The team created and distributed a COVID-19 vaccines perceptions survey in October-November 2020. The survey assessed willingness and hesitance of Douglas County adult residents to be vaccinated, their decision-making factors, and their preferences around vaccine resources and locations. This informed planning for equitable outreach and for addressing concerns related to accessibility of mass vaccine clinics and equitable distribution of vaccines. We collected demographic information including sex, race & ethnicity, age (10-year increments), zip code, and municipality within the County. Surveys were available in both printed and online formats, and in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Many respondents included additional comments which were helpful in our analysis, such as specific concerns we may not have included among survey questions and answers, or misinformation they were hearing.
The team also implemented two COVID-19 Public Discussion Panels that allowed community members to engage leaders of the Unified Command, the emergency response planning structure for Covid-19 response and recovery in Lawrence-Douglas County. The panels attracted approximately 1000 viewers from the county. This public event format eliminated barriers to ask questions by being held during evening hours and by offering various avenues for posing questions (e.g., email, question submission form, Zoom chat, Facebook page). Our events were recorded and posted to YouTube for community members to watch or review at another time. Questions received from community members were helpful in understanding the community’s concerns and in responding to misinformation. The survey and related public discussions informed planning and communications related to Covid-19 vaccination delivery.
[Source: Health Equity Planner, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health].