Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff

David Fakunle; Laura Marcela Hernandez Delgado

doi:10.29333/ajqr/17412

David Fakunle ¹, Laura Marcela Hernandez Delgado ¹ ^*

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 1-20

https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic not only posed unprecedented challenges to global public health but also triggered significant shifts in societal norms and attitudes towards public health interventions. Despite the urgency and severity of the pandemic, healthcare workers, who were and remain at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19, have exhibited varying degrees of vaccine hesitancy, including concerns about their fast development and effectiveness, and the reach of campaigns. This qualitative study, conducted at the request of a health system in New York City during the height of the pandemic, aimed to explore the underlying reasons behind vaccine hesitancy among frontline staff and to provide insights for addressing such hesitancy in future public health crises. The methodology combined storytelling in focus group settings with group concept mapping to elicit and analyze participants' narratives. Storytelling created a safe space for participants to share personal experiences, while group concept mapping provided a structured approach to identifying key themes and relationships. By exploring these insights, this study offers actionable recommendations to address healthcare workforce vaccine hesitancy in future public health crises, emphasizing empathy, trust-building, and culturally relevant interventions.

Keywords: COVID-19, healthcare workers, qualitative research, storytelling, vaccine hesitancy.

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Citation

Fakunle, D., & Hernandez Delgado, L. M. (2026). Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

Fakunle, D., and Hernandez Delgado, L. M. (2026). Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 10(1), pp. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

Fakunle D, Hernandez Delgado LM. Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

Fakunle, David, and Laura Marcela Hernandez Delgado. "Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2026 10 no. 1 (2026): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

Fakunle, David et al. "Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 10, no. 1, 2026, pp. 1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412

Fakunle D, Hernandez Delgado LM. Exploring COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Resistance through Storytelling: Insights from New York Frontline Healthcare Staff. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2026;10(1):1-20. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/17412