Vaccine Hesitancy Study – Quantitative and Qualitative

Background - In 2022, ThinkNow partnered with TeamFriday to conduct a quantitative and qualitative study to explore perceptions of and barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine. The study focused on Palmdale, CA and surrounding areas with increased infection rates among vulnerable populations, particularly African Americans and Hispanics.

The primary challenge was to understand the perspectives and information sources of African American and Hispanic adults who were not vaccinated but were not completely against taking the vaccine. Additionally, we had to navigate logistical hurdles, including participant recruitment and focus group coordination.

Solution - For the quantitative study, we conducted mall-intercept interviews in Palmdale, targeting a sample size of 100 African American or Hispanic adults. The interviews, conducted via tablets, lasted 10 minutes and included up to three open-ended questions. This approach allowed us to gather insights directly from the target demographic in a controlled environment.

Simultaneously, we conducted three online focus groups, each lasting 90 minutes, to delve deeper into the perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine. To ensure strong participation, we over-recruited respondents and considered segmenting the groups by race/ethnicity, age, gender, and language, depending on the demographics of interested respondents.

At the end of the study, our team delivered a detailed report summarizing key findings from the mall-intercept interviews and the online focus groups.