In the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collected data on vaccine doses administered across the rural-urban continuum and found that coverage was lower overall, among all age groups, and among men and women in rural compared with urban counties. To address lagging rural vaccination rates, NRHA is communicating to the administration and external partners the need for rural-appropriate messaging and stakeholder engagement. The factors that motivate rural Americans to get vaccinated are often different than those of their urban counterparts, and thus, the messages rural community leaders share should be different. NRHA believes that to increase rural COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake, it is important we develop a local approach that empowers and encourages trusted community leaders to share clear, concise, and often personal messages about vaccine safety, efficacy, and social impact.
