‘Our Community Our Health St. Louis’: Learning from COVID-19 vaccine outreach

Authors

  • Anne Trolard Washington University in St. Louis, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9922-9208
  • Hilary Broughton Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Robert Doyle Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Kym Radford Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Luke Starnes Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Joan Ferguson Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Elvin H. Geng Washington University in St. Louis, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0825-1424
  • Angela L. Brown Washington University in St Louis, USA
  • Michelle He Washington University in St. Louis, USA
  • Hannah Kinzer Washington University in St. Louis, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8431-3124
  • Brett Maricque Washington University in St. Louis, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55016/41887f75

Keywords:

COVID-19 Vaccine, Vaccine Hesitancy, Vaccine Uptake, Availability, Accessibility

Abstract

The national rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United Statues failed to produce equitable vaccine uptake across racial and class lines, repeating well-known patterns of health disparities. In mid-2021, community leaders in St. Louis identified the need for improved vaccine access in underserved areas. Washington University in St. Louis responded by launching the ‘Our Community Our Health St. Louis’ program, targeting fifteen zip codes with high COVID-19 hospitalization rates and low vaccine uptake. ‘Our Community Our Health’ formed partnerships with trusted community organizations to deliver vaccines through flexible, neighborhood-based pop-up clinics and used a design framework to interrogate vaccine ‘hesitancy’. Over two years, the program administered 1,354 COVID-19 and influenza vaccines to 874 individuals through 89 events. A design framework was employed to learn from vaccine recipients directly what vaccine availability and acceptability looked like to them. The program’s community-driven approach revealed critical insights for designing and scaling a hyperlocal vaccine distribution system that meets people where they are to deliver equity.

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Published

2026-06-05

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Online First

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Anne Trolard, Hilary Broughton, Robert Doyle, Kym Radford, Luke Starnes, Joan Ferguson, Elvin H. Geng, Angela L. Brown, Michelle He, Hannah Kinzer, Brett Maricque

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