Critical Insights Into Public Health Interventions: Partnership, Cultural and Racial Tensions, and Vaccine Hesitancy Within Somali Communities in the Upper Midwest, USA, and Western Norway.

This article examines community-driven initiatives addressing SARS-CoV-2 vaccine hesitancy among Somali immigrant populations in cities in the Upper Midwest, USA (UMW-USA), and Western Norway (W-NO). Using qualitative case studies guided by the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning (BMCF) and the Socioecological Model (SEM), the research highlights how sociopolitical contexts—such as racial tensions in the UMW-USA and governmental mistrust in Norway—shape vaccine hesitancy. Findings reveal that culturally affirming, community-centric approaches involving trusted Somali leaders, healthcare personnel, and religious figures in UMW-USA fostered trust and increased vaccine uptake, whereas Norway's primarily translation-focused, top-down strategy faced challenges in building trust and engagement. The study underscores the importance of integrating socioecological perspectives and sustained community partnerships to design effective, culturally tailored health promotion strategies for immigrant communities.