Episode 113: Vaccine Equity and Trust

The term “vaccine hesitancy” is all the rage—but does it adequately explain what is going on in the minds of those who are “hesitant” to get the COVID-19 vaccine? By focusing on the hesitancy of individuals, do we risk losing sight of fundamental problems of access, equity, and trust? This episode features two interviews with experts whose work straddles the lines between medicine, community outreach, and health communications. First, we talk with Dr. Shalonda Horton, Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, who is working on the frontlines at mobile vaccine clinics in Austin, followed by a conversation with Chelsea Brass, a communication studies doctoral student and former doctoral fellow for the Center for Health Communication in the Moody College of Communication and Melanie Connolly, a medical illustrator, 3D animator and marketing director for the Austin Healthcare Council, who designed a Vaccine Curiosity Tool to help resolve uncertainty about the COVID-19 vaccine. Related links: Episode 70: Designing for Mental Health http://hogg.utexas.edu/podcast-mental-health-design