Reach Diverse Communities

Patients should know that the COVID-19 vaccines were tested on tens of thousands of people—a larger and more diverse group than is usual for most clinical trials. The Pfizer and Moderna trials enrolled more than 10,000 Hispanic patients combined and more than 6,000 Black patients. Johnson & Johnson/Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine trial was the largest and included the most geographically and ethnically diverse populations to date. Furthermore, some of the COVID-19 vaccine researchers themselves represent diverse backgrounds.

Vaccine Total US Population Age 16+ Pfizer-BioNTech Moderna Janssen (J&J)
Total People Total US Population Age 16+258 million Pfizer-BioNTech40,277 Moderna27,817 Janssen39,321
Race
RaceWhite Population %73.6% Pfizer-BioNTech81.9% Moderna79.4% Janssen62.1%
RaceBlack Population %12.3% Pfizer-BioNTech9.8% Moderna9.7% Janssen17.2%
RaceAsian Population %5.9% Pfizer-BioNTech4.4% Moderna4.7% Janssen3.5%
RaceAmerican Indian or Alaska Native Population %0.8% Pfizer-BioNTech0.6% Moderna0.8% Janssen8.3%
RaceNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Population %0.2% Pfizer-BioNTech0.2% Moderna0.2% Janssen0.3%
Ethnicity
EthnicityHispanic or Latino Population %17.6% Pfizer-BioNTech26.2% Moderna20.0% Janssen45.1%
EthnicityNot Hispanic or Latino Population %82.4% Pfizer-BioNTech73.2% Moderna79.1% Janssen52.4%

Access more information about Racial Diversity within COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Trials.

Building a foundation of trust and understanding is a critical first step in reaching diverse communities. In the Black community, for example, there is a longstanding distrust of medical care in the United States due to previous situations, such as the USPHS Syphilis Study at Tuskegee. Many minoritized communities experience a lack of access to care today and may receive subpar care. Know what drives vaccine confidence, or a lack of confidence, to help tailor your approach and have meaningful conversations with members of all communities.

Dr. Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner talks about COVID-19 vaccines and the LatinX community in this video. She says, “My message always comes back to family.” Her advice for building vaccine confidence is to talk with patients about how getting sick with COVID-19 could impact their ability to work and support their family.

CDC has developed a guide for community partners on Increasing COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Members of Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities. This in-depth resource contains several strategies and resources that can be used to build COVID-19 vaccination confidence and access in racial and ethnic minority communities.

Watch APhA’s Open Forum Webinar on Helping Underserved Patients Overcome COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns to hear practical information on how to improve access and uptake of vaccinations, while taking into account social determinants of health that result in health disparities.

Patient Resources in Other Languages

Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines (Multiple Languages)

Describes how the COVID-19 vaccine will safely provide protection and what to expect during and after vaccination. (CDC)

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Resources in Languages Other Than English

Search informational handouts about COVID-19 vaccines in multiple languages. (CDC)

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How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work (Spanish)

Depicts how mRNA vaccines work. (CDC)

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How Viral Vector COVID-19 Vaccines Work (Spanish)

Depicts how viral vector vaccines work. (CDC)

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COVID-19 Vaccines (Multiple Languages)

Provides COVID-19 vaccine information in multiple languages. (MedlinePlus)

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Mi Chat Sobre Vacunas COVID

This What’s App messaging service is designed to help Spanish-speaking communities find information about nearby vaccination locations, arrange a free ride to get vaccinated, and get answers to frequently asked questions from the CDC helpline. Users can message (833) 636-1122 from their app or visit the webpage linked below. (CDC)

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Access the library of Patient Resources for more information and handouts.