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Abstract: Background. Although the annual flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu, vaccination rates on college campuses across the United States (U.S.) remain remarkably low. Methods. Guided by the Health Belief Model, the purpose of this capstone pilot study was to identify the beliefs and barriers towards flu vaccination among undergraduate college students attending a HBCU. Results. Beliefs included: fear of contracting the flu, danger of getting the flu from the vaccination, and dangerous side effects associated with the vaccine. Moreover, the majority of the participants noted that they had not yet received the annual flu vaccine, nor did they have any intention of getting the vaccine. Conclusion. Findings underscore the importance of a culturally tailored campus-wide messaging and educational campaigns to debunk myths and misconceptions regarding the flu vaccine, especially in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the race to develop and distribute a vaccine.
Key Words: Flu Vaccination, Undergraduate College Students, African Americans, Beliefs, Barriers
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory viral infection spread by the airborne route through coughing, sneezing, and touching contaminated surfaces. During outbreaks of influenza, college students are at particular risk for contracting and rapidly spreading the virus. Likely day-to-day close contact that occurs in dormitories, classrooms, dining facilities, and campus related activities, create the perfect environment for spread of the flu virus among this population (Benjamin & Bahr, 2016; Centers for Disease Control. 2019; Ramsey & Marczinski. 2011). Although flu vaccination remains the most effective means to prevent illness, flu vaccination rates remain shockingly low among young adults, averaging between eight and 39 percent, considerably less than the 80 percent Healthy People 2020 recommends and less than the 50% target set by the American College Health Association's (ACHA) Healthy Campus 2020 initiative (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2020; National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, 2016).
BACKGROUND
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all persons aged 6 months and older receive the annual flu vaccination, unless contraindicated by allergy or other factors (Grohskopf et al., 2019). Although flu vaccination programs have been implemented on college campuses across the U.S.. motivating college students to get the seasonal flu vaccine continues to be a major public...