Promoting COVID-19 Vaccines among Communities of Color: An Analysis of U.S. Minority Serving Higher Education Institutions’ Message Framing Strategies

Abstract

This study examined how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States used framing as an issue management strategy in promoting COVID-19 vaccine. A content analysis of HBCUs’ (N = 268) COVID-19 vaccine-related messages showed that institutional leaders primarily used thematic frames over episodic frames. In other words, the COVID-19 vaccination was promoted as a community issue by emphasizing safety and well-being of the community. Black leaders’ vaccine communication mostly focused on background information, research data, and statistics related to vaccination and vaccine effectiveness. Such use of framing strategies may indicate black leaders’ trust and openness in vaccine communication and contribute to enhancing vaccine acceptance among the African American community. Findings have implications for persuasive vaccine communication and issue management in institutions of higher education.