Exploring the psychological drivers and impact of public health communications on vaccination beliefs of minority ethnic groups

Psychological drivers of behaviour can help explain why individuals engage in protective and risky health behaviours. Understanding behavioural determinants can inform strategies to promote behaviour change and using a theory-driven approach underpinned by behavioural science, facilitates a more detailed understanding of mechanisms of change. Evidence indicates some minority ethnic groups have lower intentions to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This is of considerable concern given higher COVID-19 incidence, morbidity, and mortality among minority ethnic groups. There is limited evidence of the reasons underpinning COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in minority ethnic groups in the UK, but emerging evidence indicates it is related to beliefs about vaccine safety/efficacy and issues of mistrust towards formal services, as well as practical barriers such as access. This study will involve three waves of in-depth interviews and focus groups with minority ethnic community members and organisations in London and Birmingham to understand (i) specific barriers and facilitators of vaccine uptake, (ii) changes in COVID-19 vaccination risk perceptions over time, (iii) challenges and strategies for building and sustaining community support for vaccination programmes, and (iv) the impact of public health campaigns on vaccination intention. We will also evaluate national and local campaigns across the UK to identify mechanisms of action of health messages using a behavioural science framework. This will facilitate the rapid development of evidence-based, theoretically informed, tailored health messages that are critical for the ongoing success of the UK mass vaccination programme. It will also support the sustained community engagement that is crucial for optimising public health outcomes.