Emily K. Brunson, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at Texas State University, joins the Big Ideas TXST podcast to discuss the how vaccination hesitancy is complicating the effort to immunize the U.S. population against the COVID-19 pandemic.

An applied anthropologist specializing in medical anthropology, Brunson received an M.P.H. in epidemiology and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her primary research focus is health care access and decision-making, and particularly how policies, social structures (including class and racial inequalities), social networks and personal experience combine to produce health outcomes for individuals. She is currently developing research plans and conducting policy outreach in relation to COVID-19 vaccination with colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and working on a study of COVID-19 vaccination knowledge, attitudes and behavior among college students.

Further reading:

CommuniVax aims to strengthen community role in COVID vaccination campaign
New report warns of potential obstacles to effective COVID-19 vaccine delivery
Vaccination research looks at where, how parents get their information