{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T12:20:51Z","timestamp":1787314851761,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,26]],"date-time":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740528000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CSL Seqirus"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, vaccination rates for preventable diseases, including influenza, have significantly dropped among racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) individuals in the United States. This study explored the effects of a community-based educational intervention designed to improve influenza vaccine literacy and acceptance among vulnerable REM individuals. Methods: The intervention included four 45 min interactive educational sessions on the influenza vaccine. The session attendees (18+) were invited to participate in a pre-\/post-intervention study where an anonymous survey measured their post-COVID-19 pandemic attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors regarding the influenza virus and vaccine. To assess the effect of the intervention on vaccine literacy, we used a Mann\u2013Whitney U test to test for differences between the pre-\/post-intervention survey responses to seven knowledge-based questions. Descriptive statistics were employed to assess the impact of intervention on vaccine acceptance. Results: A total of 116 participants completed the pre-intervention survey, and 90 (78%) completed the post-intervention survey. All (100%) identified as REM, and 99% lived in highly vulnerable areas. Only 43% believed they were at risk for viral infection before the intervention, but 60% said the intervention helped them reassess their risk. We found significant differences in vaccine literacy when comparing the pre-\/post-intervention survey responses, particularly regarding guideline-based vaccine recommendations (p &lt; 0.05). Before the intervention, 65% of the participants indicated a high likelihood of receiving the influenza vaccine. In contrast, after the intervention, 81% of respondents indicated a high likelihood of being vaccinated, and 72% indicated that they were \u201cextremely likely\u201d to receive the immunization. Conclusions: Community-based educational interventions can have a positive impact on influenza vaccine literacy and acceptance among vulnerable REM populations in the post-COVID-19 era.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr17020018","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,26]],"date-time":"2025-02-26T06:15:33Z","timestamp":1740550533000},"page":"18","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Utilizing an Educational Intervention to Enhance Influenza Vaccine Literacy and Acceptance Among Minoritized Adults in Southern Californian Vulnerable Communities in the Post-COVID-19 Era"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4162-6408","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacinda C.","family":"Abdul-Mutakabbir","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"},{"name":"Division of Black Diaspora and African American Studies, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raheem","family":"Abdul-Mutakabbir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel J.","family":"Casey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, San Bernardino, CA 92374, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e2019933","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2020.19933","article-title":"Racism, Not Race, Drives Inequity Across the COVID-19 Continuum","volume":"3","author":"Khazanchi","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA Netw. 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