Pre-existing health inequalities in vaccine uptake were exacerbated among ethnic communities during COVID-19 pandemic

Commentary on: Watkinson RE, Williams R, Gillibrand S, Sanders C, Sutton M. Ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake and comparison to seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in Greater Manchester, UK: A cohort study. PLoS medicine. 2022;19(3):e1003932. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003932 Implications for practice and research Pre-existing inequalities in health for the ethnic minorities become more pronounced during a public health crisis, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The healthcare system needs to account for these phenomena in addition to continuous improvement in healthcare access for these vulnerable communities. More research on innovative and tailored approaches is needed to develop long-term strategies to improve health literacy, vaccine uptake and overall improved healthcare access by the ethnic minority communities in developed countries. Ethnic communities in developed countries face health inequalities due to challenges such as socioeconomic hurdles, communication and navigational barriers, racism and discrimination.1 This also made them...
Source: Evidence-Based Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Health promotion and public health, COVID-19 Commentary Source Type: research