Overcoming Hesitancy: Strategies for Enhancing COVID-19 Booster Uptake

Vaccine hesitancy is shaping COVID-19 booster uptake. Addressing misinformation while fostering public trust is remaining at the forefront of public health efforts, and continued community engagement using active strategies is proving vital to overcome these hurdles.

The interplay between vaccine hesitancy and booster uptake is evident; hesitancy is reducing willingness to receive additional doses. Managing public trust is critical when moving from recognition of the problem to practical strategies that improve acceptance.

Structural and socioeconomic factors—such as clinic hours, transportation, paid leave, and digital access—can amplify disparities in booster uptake, underscoring the need for targeted interventions that remove these barriers.

The spread of misinformation is exacerbated by social media dynamics and coordinated disinformation campaigns. Strategic health communication is central to counteracting misinformation, aligning with widely used public health communication frameworks.

For regions struggling with hesitancy, engaging community-based organizations proves effective in bridging trust divides. Partnerships with community-based organizations can tailor strategies to local barriers, fostering trust and understanding.

Improving understanding through clear materials—such as plain-language FAQs and translated handouts—helps people make informed choices and increases acceptance of vaccination.

Building on trust, partnerships, and clear communication, practical innovations can operationalize these strategies—for example, SMS reminders scheduled around clinic hours and community ambassador programs run through local organizations—both of which are feasible, low-cost options to improve engagement and follow-through.

Key Takeaways:

• Pair localized partnerships with transparent, plain-language messaging to build and sustain trust.
• Tackle structural access barriers and information quality together to produce larger, more equitable gains in booster uptake.
• Use simple tools (e.g., reminders, community ambassadors) to translate strategy into action, then iterate based on local feedback.
• Monitor uptake and sentiment routinely to adapt interventions early and avoid widening gaps.