The barbershop program, dubbed “Shots at the Shop,” is described by administration officials as critical for reaching vaccine holdouts and easing barriers to access. The White House in June announced the initiative, which aims to have barbers and hair stylists at 1,000 Black-owned salons nationwide provide educational material, offer on-site vaccination clinics and answer questions about the shots. “This type of barbershop health initiative has been shown to be effective,” said Cameron Webb, a senior White House health equity adviser on the coronavirus, who approached the University of Maryland about the idea because it already had pioneered a Black-owned barbershop and salon health outreach program. “As the owner or barber, as they hear things, they’re able to jump into conversations with facts.”