After some initial bumps in the road, COVID-19 vaccine rollout has accelerated across the United States, as have rollbacks of certain public health measures. But city leaders worry that some residents remain hesitant to take the vaccine.

ZenCity found that 47% of those surveyed are hesitant to receive the vaccine as they believe they are at a low personal risk from COVID-19, while 46% have concerns about the vaccines' effectiveness and another 46% have concerns about side effects. Those figures are higher among Black and Latinx populations, with 61% of respondents in each of those groups feeling they are at low risk from COVID-19 and around 60% or more worried about the vaccines' side effects or effectiveness.

While roughly 30% of city residents are unsure if they want the vaccine, they can be convinced otherwise with the right kind of targeted messaging, said Eyal Feder-Levy, ZenCity co-founder and CEO, during a webinar last week to mark the report's release. Prior to the availability of vaccines, cities already saw success with targeted messaging around the coronavirus, with the likes of Gilbert, Arizona, embracing a heavy online presence to keep residents informed.

Community leaders are a crucial vessel for communications around getting vaccinated, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said during the webinar. The city has worked with faith leaders, beauticians, and barbers, as well as local musicians and social media influencers to get the word out, she said.

Read the full article about combatting vaccine hesitancy by Chris Teale at Smart Cities Dive.