Key points
- Rapid community assessment (RCA) is a process for quickly collecting community insights about a public health issue in order to inform program design.
- The assessment involves reviewing existing data and conducting community-based interviews, listening sessions, observations, digital listening, and surveys.
- This assessment guide and tools are for those who wish to better understand their community's needs regarding vaccine acceptance and uptake among adults, adolescents, and children.
Why should you conduct a rapid community assessment?
- To identify communities at risk for low vaccine uptake among adults, adolescents, or children.
- To understand what communities are thinking about vaccines for adults, adolescents, and children, and plan for potential solutions to increase confidence and uptake.
- To identify community leaders, trusted messengers, and other important channels through which you can reach communities.
- To identify areas of intervention and prioritize potential intervention strategies to increase vaccine confidence and uptake.
RCA guide and addendums

Addendum: Considerations for Conducting Rapid Community Assessment in Tribal Communities


RCA toolkit
Download, edit, or print Word versions of the tools: RCA Toolkit
RCA Toolkit includes:
- Vaccine Efforts Learning Template
- Implementation Guide for Community Interviews and Listening Sessions
- Observation
- Intercept Interviews
- Digital Listening and Monitoring Tools
- Insights Synthesis Tool
Additional resources
- COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Vaccine Confidence Among Adults
- (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) – Guidance on what programs/partners could consider as they develop a plan for engaging communities, to include four phases and nine key activities of community engagement.
Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases