As COVID-19 vaccines arrive, so does reckoning with racism in health care; herd immunity hinges on Black trust – Chicago Sun-Times

As the first COVID-19 vaccines arrive at hospitals Monday, America faces a reckoning with racism in health care a history that could derail an end to the worst pandemic in a century.

How do you persuade Black Americans to participate in the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history when the elders remember the Tuskegee experiment and younger have grown up in health care deserts, acutely aware they receive lower quality health care than whites?

That was the question tackled by Illinois officials and Black community leaders at a roundtable on ways to overcome this distrust that could hinder the nations goal of immunizing three out of four Americans, to achieve herd immunity.

We understand very clearly the African American communitys mistrust and apprehension. We know where this comes from, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said at the virtual gathering Friday, called by U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

It began before Tuskegee, but Tuskegee brought it to the forefront, created a condition where there had to be an admission by a medical professional that these tests at Tuskegee were implemented, and apology made. But there was no real solution to those problems, nothing that remediated ongoing mistrust, Rush said.

Now were at a point where weve got to have this participation by citizens from every demographic root, and were having to deal with this problem in terms of creating trust.

Delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began Sunday 3 million shots believed more than 90 percent effective against a disease thats killed over 300,000 Americans.

It will be given first to health care workers and nursing home residents, then essential workers, older adults and those at high risk, before the general population, by spring. With 75 percent immunized, experts say the U.S. could reach herd immunity by summers end.

Our local surveying has suggested, similar to what has been seen nationally, that Black Chicagoans and Black health care workers are less likely, right off the bat, to want to accept vaccines, said Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. So its absolutely critical to talk about.

That distrust by Blacks, dying from coronavirus at twice the rate of whites, manifests in historically low Black participation in medical studies. So promoting the critical nature of the new vaccine to Black communities will mean relying on such trusted messengers as Black doctors, community groups and churches.

As health care workers are the first to get the shot, they should help make the case, said Rainbow PUSH Founder/ President the Rev. Jesse Jackson. If we have Black and Latino doctors on television, taking the shot, saying why they trust it, we remove some of these reasonable doubts fairly soon.

We cannot use the Tuskegee experiment as a crutch in this situation, Jackson said. Were beyond that now. There are 62 Blacks in Congress. We have an obligation to tell that story.

Leaders like Jackson taking the shot would have similar effect, Duckworth said. CDPH and the Illinois Department of Public Health also plan to use social media influencers to spread the message to that community.

Our group of Black electeds from across the state of Illinois, weve talked about all of us doing it together, so everyone can see, said U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).

But sometimes we can be in a weird situation. Some people will say, Oh look, they got it first. On the other hand, some people will say, Oh look, theyre telling us to take it, but theyre not taking it.

Marketing to the Black community must also be conducted in a culturally sensitive manner.

We have to get this right. Time is of the essence, but we cant force people. As with any kind of change, there are early adopters, late adopters, people in the middle, and people who never adopt. We have to respect that, lDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said.

Were going to be working with the people who have some willingness to take this on, and they will need the appropriate education and support.

In the grip of the pandemics more deadly second wave, Illinois now accounts for nearly 5% of all coronavirus deaths in the U.S. Rates of infection and death in communities of color speak to a need for massive new dollars for vaccine marketing, officials said.

Theres hope, however.

UICs Moderna trial here had 75 percent non-white participants. Thats very unusual, and good news for Chicago, Arwady said. Were doing some message testing right now, with a focus on Black and Latinx communities, thinking about how we acknowledge some of this past history, but then be very forthright, talk about the science of this vaccine.

That messaging will also address potential for criminal elements to prey on the vulnerable.

Everybody needs to know that anybody soliciting any kind of money, even if its an administration fee, anything like that, its not legit. The vaccine is free, Ezike said. You dont have to bring something to prove youre a citizen, or resident of Illinois. We are vaccinating everybody who presents. People need to know that right at the beginning.

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As COVID-19 vaccines arrive, so does reckoning with racism in health care; herd immunity hinges on Black trust - Chicago Sun-Times