Despite overall progress in COVID-19 vaccination in Cleveland, vaccine inequity persists as young people are less likely to be vaccinated. However, while often labeled "vaccine hesitant," this labeling misrepresents deeper issues related to youth experiences and community engagement in Cleveland today. Our youth participatory action research (YPAR) project (Oct '21-Apr '22) worked in partnership with young people in the Cleveland area, to understand young people's attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and how these are embedded in a wider social context. We highlight that while many of the youth were vaccinated, for those from redlined neighborhoods, COVID-19 vaccination often took a back seat to more pressing priorities over food security, livelihood, and education during the pandemic. Further, our work explored how young people's relationships with authorities (city government, teachers, police) was often one of wariness and mistrust, which also affected how they viewed the vaccine, among wider public health efforts during the pandemic. Our findings have implications for engaging young people for improved health and well-being in the city.
Elizabeth Benninger, PhD, MA, is a postdoctoral research fellow for the CAER alliance, a research practice partnership with Cleveland State University and Cleveland Metropolitan School district and the founder and CEO of Healthy Minds Healthy Communities Consulting. She obtained a Masters in Psychology (Applied Community Psychology) from Antioch University, Los Angeles and a Doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Her research interests include the study of children’s well-being, health disparities, participatory research approaches, and community health promotion. Her work additionally focuses on national and international collaborations with non-profit and nongovernmental organizations which specifically focus on community engaged approaches to improving the well-being of children and families.
Megan Schmidt-Sane, PhD, MPH is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies in the United Kingdom. She recently graduated from the Department of Anthropology at °Ç¸çºÚÁÏ with a PhD in Medical Anthropology ('20), and has interdisciplinary training with a Masters in Public Health ('13) from Columbia University. Her research focuses on social and behavioral factors that shape infectious diseases and epidemics, health equity, and the social determinants of health. She uses mixed methods in her research, including qualitative and participatory action research methods. She works collaboratively with communities, community stakeholders, and local organizations in her work, with a focus on translation of research findings to policy and public health practice.