By David Wise
FAYETTEVILLE — Marshallese and Hispanic communities in Northwest Arkansas are largely receptive to receiving COVID-19 booster shots if advised by a health care provider, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Office of Community Health & Research.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected Marshallese and Hispanic communities in Northwest Arkansas at such a high rate that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) visited the area in the summer of 2020 to investigate the causes of infection among those populations and barriers to safe quarantine. During the height of the pandemic, the Marshallese and Hispanic populations made up 64% of local COVID-19 cases, while only accounting for about 20% of the region’s population. According to data from the National Institutes of Health, Marshallese populations also suffered a death rate due to COVID-19 of about 93 times higher than Caucasians.
Marshallese and Hispanic community members experienced several barriers to vaccination, including language, access to vaccine sites and limited transportation, according to both CDC- and NIH-funded research. The lack of access to vaccine sites prompted UAMS Office of Community Health & Research and local organizations to host culturally appropriate vaccine events with bilingual community health workers (CHWs) at various community locations — such as churches, community centers and job sites — where participants felt more comfortable.
