Announcing the Final Examination of Rebecca Entress for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Governments provide resources that enable people and communities to return to normalcy as quickly as possible following emergencies, which enhances community resilience. Past research found that such resources are not always equitably utilized by communities. COVID-19 was one of the largest and most widespread public health emergencies. In response to the emergency, the United States (U.S.) government sponsored the creation and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the probability of severe illness and death, making them an important resource for community resilience. This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design to examine three research questions related to social equity in vaccine administration: (1) What is the relationship between community social vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccine administration?; (2) Did individuals trying to access the COVID-19 vaccine encounter administrative burdens?; and (3) How do the administrative burdens experienced by individuals when trying to access the COVID-19 vaccine provide a better understanding of the relationship between social vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccine administration? County level data for all U.S. counties were analyzed to examine the relationship between community social vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccine administration. Findings indicate that counties with higher wealth-related social vulnerability were associated with lower county vaccination rates, but counties with higher employment-related and ethnicity-related social vulnerability were associated with higher vaccination rates. Qualitative interview data from 31 individuals revealed that few individuals faced administrative burdens when trying to access the COVID-19 vaccines, but a variety of resources and support services were used to access the vaccines. However, not everyone had equal access to resources, as individuals indicated that resources required wealth for access, and many resources were provided by employers. These results suggest that the resources invested in vaccination efforts materialized for some, but not all types of vulnerability. Emergency managers and policymakers should consider these results when providing resources meant to enhance community resilience following future emergencies and crises.
Committee in Charge: Dr. Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, Dr. Naim Kapucu, Dr. Jeremy Hall, Dr. Lilliard Richardson, Dr. Danielle Atkins
Contact Dr. Abdul-Akeem Sadiq for details regarding attendance.
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