Publication date: Oct 24, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how vaccination decisions are influenced by misinformation, disinformation, and social pressures, leading to varied and inequitable uptake rates. In this study, we examined how COVID-19 vaccine messages received via social networks were associated with vaccine uptake in rural Alabama. From November 2021 through March 2022, we collected 700 responses to a telephone survey administered in 4 rural Alabama counties. We asked respondents to indicate whether certain social relationships (eg, family, businesses) tried to influence them to (1) obtain or (2) avoid a COVID-19 vaccine. We used χ tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Mantel-Haenszel χ tests, and Fisher exact tests to examine the associations between vaccination status and survey responses. Respondents in majority-African American counties were significantly more likely than those in majority-White counties to have received ≥1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine (89. 8% vs 72. 3%; P 

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Original Article