Lung-Chang Chien (Epidemiology and Biostatistics), Erika Marquez, Samantha Smith, Tiana Tu (all Environmental and Occupational Health), and Amanda Haboush-Deloye (Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy) co-published an article titled, "Exploring the role of the social vulnerability index in understanding COVID-19 immunization rates," in the journal PLOS One. 

This study explores the associations between CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (CDC-SVI), a pivotal tool for planning responses to health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and its corresponding themes with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Nevada counties. The study also discusses the utility of CDC-SVI in the context of equitable vaccine uptake in a pandemic setting.

Smith and Tu are graduate students.