Vaccine outreach would be most effective if focused on populations with highest vaccine hesitancy. Statistics Canada found that Black Canadians are only 56.6% very or somewhat willingly to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which is the lowest among visible minority populations in Canada. This is alarming because they are 246% more likely to contract COVID-19 than other communities and account for 24% of COVID-19 related hospitalizations in Toronto. Vaccine hesitancy is rooted in misinformation caused by an overwhelming amount of complex information. Our goal is to increase trust and autonomous decision making among Black Torontonians in the two government approved mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. We aim to design a scientific infographic that is simple and accessible to the general population. Through our research, we identified reasons why vaccine hesitancy exists among the community. A professor at University of Alberta, Bukola Salami, asserts that systemic racism plays an influential role in vaccine hesitancy in the Black community. One key source of misunderstanding is what the vaccine is and how it works. The infographic will be designed by Canva and BioRender, focusing on 4 areas: 1) ingredients in the vaccines, 2) functions and efficacies of the mRNA vaccines, 3) importance of herd immunity, and 4) debunking common myths and facts. The objective is to present an infographic as a printed pamphlet and digital video that can efficiently be shared amongst community members.

Key words: Vaccine hesitancy, mRNA vaccines, Black Canadians