Community of Communities: Co-Created Education to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake

Introduction: This paper describes and evaluates the COVAX educational program for Vaccine Acceptance and Access Lives in Unity, Engagement, and Education, Baltimore’s vaccine peer ambassador (VPA) initiative, which served to engage the community (including those resistant to vaccination) and increase community knowledge of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to describe the effectiveness of the education program for VPA and coordinators. We surveyed VPAs to determine the impact of training and perceived influence in the community. In April and May 2022, we conducted four focus groups of VPAs and coordinators to gain further insights into survey responses. Results: The engaged approach used in training allowed for a forum where VPAs and coordinators could share their experiences in the field and participate in the learning process. 82% of VPAs and coordinators indicated that they found the training extremely or very useful and 72% perceived their impact in the community to be high. Overall, 53% of VPAs and coordinators felt they were heard and understood by the administrators of the project. Conclusions: The educational component of the VPA initiative used a variety of pedagogical approaches and allowed for the engagement of VPAs and coordinators. This engaged approach assisted in not only increasing scientific knowledge about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination, but also built trust within a diverse group of VPAs, coordinators, and trainers.