Bewältigung der Impfskepsis gegen COVID-19 durch Interventionen auf mehreren Ebenen in den Appalachen (K-VAC)

This intervention arm will include exclusively health communication messaging strategies that is both theory-based and community-targeted to encourage uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine delivered by trusted local communicators. Pre-identified theory-based components are attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, response efficacy, and implementation intentions. The development process for the messaging will be based through a conjoint process of identification of theory- based determinants of decision-making relevant to the desired behavior change and a community-engaged process of identifying: a) community-specific messaging themes; b) trusted communicators within the target population; and c) community-specific messaging, imaging, and themes to achieve targeting.

Participants will experience a coordinated social marketing campaign including targeted messaging related to vaccine education, self-efficacy, and informative resources to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The intervention messaging will be strategically layered and disseminated to this intervention arm predominately via Facebook by trusted and local communicators in the study counties.

This intervention arm will include the conditions outlined and included in the health communication arm, however, they will be coupled with a series of structural and/or environmental intervention strategies as well, which are targeted to facilitate vaccine accessibility and uptake among adults in the randomly assigned study counties.

This multi-level intervention will include the defined health messaging intervention components, as well as a combination of structural-level intervention strategies targeted to better facilitate access to community-based vaccination delivery. Health organizations will receive a toolkit, which will include community-specific resources and training modules such as: up to date evidence-based vaccination guidance that can be delivered to patients; strategies for navigating conversations with patients about vaccination; any applicable reimbursement, insurance, or qualifying enrollment information specific to the healthcare organization; identifying locations that facilitate access for the community members; provided advertising to promote the locations and timing of the vaccinations; and generating community-based branding for all vaccination delivery based on the trusted information sources identified.

No study-specific intervention strategies (as outlined above) will be implemented in control counties at the time of the study period. Any ongoing and/or pre-existing efforts within the scope of the project's outcomes will continue as it would have i.e. a health department operating a health fair.

Change in *county-level* vaccination rates- to assess uptake, the investigators will ascertain the number of individuals in each county who received the COVID-19 vaccination during the intervention period as well as during an equivalent time frame prior to the intervention. This assessment will be obtained from existing, deidentified vaccination rate data maintained by the KY Department of Public Health. The primary outcome variable will be the number of individuals receiving vaccination.

The investigators will assess individual-level vaccination behaviors with a survey among adults in each study county. To capture, participants will be asked to self-report their responses to following statements with multiple choice answer choices provided to allow for quantitative analysis: 1) "Have you or do you think you have had COVID-19?" 1= Yes I was tested or a doctor diagnosed me; 2= Maybe I had some symptoms but was not tested; 3= No. 2) "How many times have you had COVID-19?" 1= Once, 2= Twice, 3= Three or more times. Additionally, the investigators will use a 4-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree, 2= disagree, 3= agree, 4= strongly agree) to assess respondent likeliness of intention to vaccinate with either a COVID-19 booster, or COVID-19 vaccine, in the next 12-months.

The investigators will assess individual-level vaccination attitudes and beliefs with a survey among adults in each study county. Participants will be asked to self-report their responses to following statements utilizing a 4-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree, 2= disagree, 3= agree, 4= strongly agree):

1. "I feel safe about getting the COVID-19 vaccine."
2. "The COVID-19 vaccine may cause short term problems, like fever or discomfort."
3. "The COVID-19 vaccine is being pushed to make money for drug companies."
4. "The COVID-19 vaccine was not tested enough for safety."
5. "The COVID-19 vaccine may cause lasting health problems."
6. "I am concerned that the COVID-19 vaccine will cost more than I can pay."
7. "The COVID-19 vaccine was developed too quickly."

The investigators will assess individual-level risk perceptions about vaccination with a survey among adults in each study county. Participants will be asked to self-report their responses to following questions with a 4-point Likert scale:

1. "How likely are you to get COVID-19 in the next 6 months?" 1= very unlikely to 4= very likely
2. "How afraid are you of getting COVID-19 in the next 6 months?" 1= not afraid at all to 4= extremely afraid
3. "If you were to get COVID-19 in the next 6 months, how serious would it be?" 1= not serious at all to 4= extremely serious