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Despite growing concern about the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly in black women, the consensus remains that the risks associated with contracting the COVID-19 virus far outweigh the risks of taking a vaccine. vaccine.
An April special town hall of the Black Coalition Against COVID shed light on this subject. This intergenerational event featured a panel of black sorority sisters, doctors representing each sorority group, and host and TV personality. Loni Amour. Special guests included Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, Chair of the U.S. COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
The United States’ goal to vaccinate more black Americans has suffered a setback according to recent reports that documented 15 cases, mostly women, known to have suffered from blood clots after taking the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Although these are rare cases of more than 7 million people who have taken the J&J vaccine, Dr Nunez-Smith said it was important for federal regulators to investigate the vaccine to ensure its safety.
“The chances of these complications from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are extremely rare,” said Dr. Nunez-Smith. “Despite these low risks, we see this precaution still in place. It is also a testament to the constant surveillance that continues in order to ensure the utmost security. ”
With the J&J vaccine deemed safe and the break lifted, the company agreed to put a caution on the vaccine in the United States similar to what the European Medicines Agency recommended to warn potential users of the rare possibility of blood clots.
Now that Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccines are available to every adult in the United States, health officials are urging black Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible. “The benefits always outweigh the risks of contracting the virus. The safety profile of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines continues to be strong, ”said Dr Murthy.
Vaccine reluctance among black women
A recent study of Kaiser Family Foundation found that about one in five black women (19%) in the United States say that she “definitely will not” get vaccinated against COVID-19, which is a higher share than black men (7% ). This greater reluctance among black women includes pregnant women who fear serious side effects, including infertility.
Dr. Jones dispelled the myth that vaccines have a causal effect on pregnancy loss in black women. “There is no data supporting a direct link between pregnancy loss and the vaccine,” Dr Jones said. “The questioning of some black women stems from the belief regarding their cellular levels and how their bodies can respond to the vaccine as part of the immune system. These theories are all ‘urban legends’ and have not been validated, ”added Dr Jones.
After providing key information to help slow the spread of COVID-19, Dr Murthy offered some encouragement to help save black lives. “It’s a popular movement. This is how we get our lives back, ”he said. “Black women can take the lead and be at the forefront of bringing communities back to life. We can do it!”
At BCAC’s next intergenerational event, “Calling All Brothers,” 15 fraternity brothers answered the call, along with Dr. Cameron Webb of the White House COVID-19 Response Team, to a conversation about COVID-19 and vaccines. Actor Laz Alonso hosted the event on Facebook Live.
‘Twin-demics’ of COVID-19 and violence against blacks
This town hall has taken place exactly 455 days since the first case of COVID-19 was documented in the United States. The virus has now claimed the lives of more than 596,059 Americans.
Dr Webb reminded audiences of more than 246,000 viewers that it was also only two hours after three guilty verdicts were handed down in the trial of the former Minneapolis police officer. Derek chauvin who murdered George Floyd last spring. Dr Webb said we cannot have a conversation about COVID without discussing the social injustice that also continues to plague our black communities across the country.
“These two demics have unfolded not only over the past year and some change, but over the history of this nation,” said Dr. Webb. “This is a really important time for us to lean in and recognize with the same type of advocacy, the same type of passion, the same type of energy that goes into fighting the racial injustice that is in our system. justice system, must be part of our community’s response to this pandemic.
Dr Webb stressed the importance of encouraging more black Americans to get vaccinated by helping them trust and understand the science that led to the development of vaccines. This is what he did to encourage his parents, his wife and his five siblings to get vaccinated, he said, adding that he would not have recommended the vaccines to his family. he didn’t believe they were safe and effective.
“With all of my medical training, there isn’t a single chance that I will let these people I love so much take a vaccine if I don’t trust them completely on the basis of science,” he said. declared. “The point is, all of my family have taken one of the three vaccines and received a life-saving vaccine, received a vaccine that will bring us closer to spending the holidays together this year. It’s a big problem.
Trajectories of the pandemic and lives
Overcoming the effects of the pandemic has also been a constant struggle for some of the undergraduate black fraternity brothers, the next generation of leaders who have joined the conversation. Evan Jackson of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity said his friends on campus are finally going to a better place since COVID-19 hit the United States in late winter 2019-2020.
“This shock is something that we just got over,” Jackson said. “On the other hand, it has led to a lot of good planning, people come home, have time to really think, take a step back and think about what’s important as well as what they want. see in the world and figure. on their path.
Jackson asked Dr. Webb about the current trajectory of the J&J vaccine, who returned to the fight against the pandemic after a 10-day hiatus. Dr Webb said the recent vaccine hiatus was good news for black communities as well as great proof of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to vaccine safety.
“The whole effort is aimed at saving lives. All the effort is aimed at keeping people healthy, ”said Dr. Webb. “So we want to take the time to investigate this. It is a safe vaccine. I want to be very clear on this. What this break allowed us to do is get a sense of who exactly is at risk for this extraordinarily rare side effect. But trust it won’t be available unless we believe it’s safe. ”
Collective immunity by the fall?
Our country having three safe and effective vaccines again, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks outside in small crowds, as we move closer to herd immunity. Dr Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, predicts herd immunity could occur by the end of this summer or early fall.
Dr Webb joked that his broken COVID-19 crystal ball would not allow him to predict the future. But he reminded us that it is too early to throw away our masks, and he stressed that continuing to follow public health safety measures will bring our black communities back to the things we hold dear.
“It’s time to overtake. Now is the time to maintain our discipline, ”said Dr. Webb. “More than 50 percent of adults (in the United States) have received at least one injection of this vaccine. One third is fully vaccinated. If we bend over now and finish the job, we’ll be fine. “
Host Laz Alonso closed the two days of insightful engagement with words of encouragement and solidarity for all black communities. “Continue to wear your masks. Go get the shot, ”Alonso said. “Don’t be afraid of this thing. We are stronger than that. As a black community, we have survived a lot more, and we will survive that. ”
To view a replay of these BCAC Facebook Live events in their entirety and for information on upcoming events, please visit Black Doctor.Org on Facebook (for the sorority event) and Black Doctor.org on Facebook (for the fraternity event). For more information on COVID-19, health and wellness, please visit Black Doctor.Org, the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically for African Americans.
For more information on COVID-19, health and wellness, you can also visit Black Coalition Against COVID-19, a key health resource for African Americans.
This essay by MFP Voices does not necessarily represent the views of Mississippi Free Press, its staff, or members of its board of directors. To submit an essay for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and fact-checking information to [email protected]. We welcome a wide variety of perspectives.
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