COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Vaccine Hesitancy among Black People in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 vaccine mandates increased vaccination rates globally. Implemented as a one-size-fits-all policy, these mandates have unintended harmful consequences for many, including Black Canadians. This article reports findings on the interconnectedness of vaccine mandates and vaccine hesitancy by describing a range of responses to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies among Black people in Canada. METHODS: Using qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews with 36 Black people living in Canada aged 18 years and over across 6 provinces in Canada were conducted. Participants were selected across intersectional categories including migration status, income, religion, education, sex, and Black ethnicity. Thematic analysis informed the identification of key themes using Foucauldian notions of biopower and governmentality. RESULTS: Our results show how the power relations present in the ways many Black people actualize vaccine intentions. Two main themes were identified: acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in the context of governmentality and resistance to vaccine mandates driven by oppression, mistrust, and religion. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccine mandates may have reinforced mistrust of the government and decreased confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. Policy makers need to consider non-discriminatory public health policies and monitor how these policies are implemented over time and across multiple sectors to better understand vaccine hesitancy.

Caring in the Context of Systems: Service Provider Perspectives on the Mental Health Needs of Newcomer Young Men.

In this study, we applied an intersectional framework to explore service providers' perspectives on the mental health needs of newcomer young men. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 26 service providers in Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, Canada. Findings show that service providers made sense of young men's mental health needs and service access in the context of systems. We identified three interconnected themes: newcomer young men's senses of self in relation to macro-systems, including racism and economic marginalization; settling well as a determinant of mental health; and systems capacities and interdependent resilience. While service providers are engaged in cross-sectoral work in support of newcomer young men's mental health, this work is not being sufficiently supported. Further work is needed around cross-sector capacity bridging and advocacy, as well as the tailoring of services to young men without the assumption and reinforcement of gender stereotypes.