The data revealed that Walmart has over-performed in vaccine distribution across different communities and moral concerns — not through using moral reprove or coercion, but by meeting people where they are. In fact, a high score on the CVAC index for vaccine reluctance, usually a prediction of low rates of vaccination, predicts success for Walmart’s distribution. In other words, Walmart is successfully delivering vaccines to people in counties with high levels of reluctance. And although the more politically “conservative” (as defined by the CVAC index) are less likely to be vaccinated, Walmart, which has made it a priority to reach people who “did not have a trusted relationship with healthcare,” succeeds at delivering vaccinations across all the dimensions captured by moral foundations theory.

Even those who don’t trust the government, pharmaceutical companies, or public health experts, are willing to listen to people they do trust. What makes Walmart a trusted institution? A Walmart representative confirmed that those at Walmart who distribute vaccine information and provide vaccines do not dismiss individuals’ concerns. They do not demean or belittle the unvaccinated. They do not treat them as ignorant, arrogant, selfish, stupid, or crazy. They approach them with concern and compassion, and treat them with dignity and respect. And they don’t just talk; they also listen.