LGBTQ & BIPOC Youth Led COVID Study

Out Boulder County in partnership with El Centro AMISTAD & Unwoven Ventures with the leadership of LGBTQ & Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC) youth have created the nation’s first LGBTQ & BIPOC youth-led survey on COVID-19 vaccination uptake, acceptance, hesitancy & resistance. A key finding of the survey is that economic disadvantage & race make a meaningful impact on vaccination rates & levels of acceptance. Mardi Moore, Executive Director of Out Boulder County stated, “LGBTQ+ & BIPOC young people are too often ignored by the medical establishment & society. It was important to Out Boulder County & our partners to have youth lead the survey & to elevate voices in these too often ignored communities. Understanding their views & attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination is crucial to managing & ending this pandemic.” There were 420 respondents who met the criteria for inclusion in the survey. It consisted of 37 questions targeting youth ages 12 to 17 & young adults between the ages of 18 to 24. Michal Duffy, Director of Education & Research at Out Boulder County concluded, “Studying vaccination rates as well as views, attitudes & barriers to vaccination at these intersections of identities revealed valuable data that should inform efforts to promote vaccination. The data clearly reveal that a person's socio-economic status & identity impacts their views toward vaccination & their successful uptake of the vaccine.” When it comes to understanding COVID-19 vaccine reluctance this information is crucial to an effective community vaccination program which requires participation by people of every age group & demographic. Read Full Report…