Systematic review of vaccination hesitancy in the minority population in relation to the potential for COVID vaccine uptake

<div class="line" id="line-9"> <b> Background </b> :&nbsp;Vaccine hesitancy in the minority patient population is a potential threat to future herd immunity that is paramount in reducing the burden of the COVID pandemic. Potential limitations to the pending COVID vaccination need to be identified early to inform interventions to increase awareness and vaccine uptake once available. This review aims to (1) identify essential studies and derive individual barriers of vaccination hesitancy in the minority patient population; and (2) outline gaps in comprehending the vaccination hesitancy of minority patient populations for analysis and interventions in the development of the COVID vaccine.</div><div class="line" id="line-40"> <br/></div><div class="line" id="line-25"> <b> Methods </b> :&nbsp;This systematic review was performed according to the methodology recommended by the PRISMA guidelines during the period of January 2010 to July 2020. The research was conducted using the electronic database: PubMed. Following the PRISMA approach, 694 articles were identified, and 60 articles were selected and analyzed for significant barriers to minority patient population vaccination hesitancy.</div><div class="line" id="line-37"> <br/></div><div class="line" id="line-27"> <b> Results </b> :&nbsp;The majority of studies included patients from North America, age 18&thinsp;years or greater. This study identified racial differences in vaccine uptake, attitudes, trust/confidence, and hesitancy. Distinguishing that Black, Latinx, Asian and multiracial respondents were less likely than White respondents to receive routine vaccinations.</div><div class="line" id="line-31"> <br/></div><div class="line" id="line-29"> <b> Discussion </b> :&nbsp;Differences in socio&hyphen;economics, cultural, personal opinion, and many other factors were analyzed in this review. Potential interventions to reduce vaccination hesitation should be utilized. Such as ensuring recruitment of diverse trial population and funding to increase social justice and equity work that fuel dismantling health disparities. In addition there is a need to help promote vaccination education and awareness to potential mitigate barriers in the minority patient population to increase the potential for herd immunity that maybe instrumental in decreasing the burden of the COVID pandemic.</div>