Publication date: Oct 12, 2024

Identifying factors impacting vaccination and testing for COVID-19 is crucial to reduce health disparities, especially for rural/agricultural, low access and high poverty Latino communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This study examined differences in perceived barriers and facilitators (such as values, beliefs, and concerns) to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and testing intention by vaccination status and testing hesitancy among rural Latino community members in Southwest Florida. Rural Latino community members (N = 493) completed a cross-sectional survey in Spanish (86. 0%) or English (14. 0%) on perceived COVID-19 vaccine/testing barriers and facilitators, as well as demographics, mental health, medical history, health perceptions, and health literacy. At the time of the survey, approximately 43% of participants were unvaccinated and 46. 4% were testing hesitant. Significantly more vaccinated participants acknowledged keeping their family (d = . 25), community (d = . 27), and themselves (d = . 22) safe as facilitators to vaccination (ps 

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