Enhancing Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccination through the Implementation of Mobile Vaccination Clinics: A Community-Based Approach in Louisville, Kentucky

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the pivotal role of vaccination in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and fatalities resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This virus has disproportionately impacted minority communities, revealing a stark disparity in vaccination rates. The pandemic has worsened existing disparities in the United States concerning race, social status, and economic conditions, resulting in a greater risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, limited access to protective resources, and disparities in illness and increased death rates among individuals living in low-income neighborhoods, indigenous populations, and communities with predominantly non-white populations. Vaccine hesitancy stemming from mistrust of vaccine safety information and skepticism regarding traditional vaccination procedures has further exacerbated lower vaccination rates and higher COVID-19 hospitalization rates among non-white populations. This paper explores the transition from mass immunization to mobile vaccination clinics in Louisville, Kentucky, with a particular focus on the community-based versus community-placed approach. It outlines the training program and challenges encountered in the implementation of this crucial strategy during a dynamic pandemic landscape.