Why Are There Doubts About the Vaccine in the Black Community?
2020 is, in my mind, comparable to 2001. That was the year no one will ever forget because of September 11 and the fateful day that brought tears to many of our eyes. While I can't give you the specific date, 2020 is going to be remembered for the year the world stopped.
The pandemic was amongst us, and we had never experienced anything like this before. Fast-forward to now, and we have been devastated by the number of people we have lost due to this virus and the numbers are still going. However, there is hope with the announcement of a vaccine that could potentially help put an end to this.
Unfortunately, there are always downsides to what is supposed to be a positive, and that is the mistrust many in the Black community have for the government. From 1932-1972, there was the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. This was an unjust study that was done on African American men as a promise of free healthcare. It wasn't, and the effects have been layered over to today. So I understand the mistrust many have, but I also understand what we are up against today. We are losing people at an alarming rate. We are no longer able to have homegoing services like we normally would have. It is also the hardest thing in the world to not be able to see your family members on their dying bed in person.
The Black community has seemingly always gotten the short end of the stick. We tend to have to work the hardest and sometimes receive the least. My in-laws have already gotten their vaccine. My brothers are already making preparations to get theirs in the next few weeks. I will admit I had my doubts, as well. There is nothing worse than being a guinea pig for others to see how things will react on you. There has officially be a third vaccine entered into the fold, with the latest announcement from Johnson & Johnson. We want the problem to go away, but are we willing to do what needs to be done in order to help it go away?
With anything, I tell people to read and research. Don't hesitate to ask questions and don't stop until you are satisfied with the answer. But we can't sit back and do nothing if we expect to see a change. Are you going to get vaccinated?