Vaccine frequency continues for some young black Americans. Amara Walker explores why

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“Don’t take it as if people don’t want to get vaccinated as rebels,” she said.

She says the 21-year-old Atlanta native is skeptical about vaccines, thanks in large part to the legacy of the Tuskegee study of syphilis. However, some experts say that’s not the only reason some young people are still hesitant months after vaccines become available.

Despite her research, Brett is concerned about possible rare side effects of vaccines, such as myocarditis, a condition that causes inflammation of the heart.

“But how do I know that such a small percentage will not be me?” She asks.

Brett’s continued distrust comes as Covid-19 deaths have fallen dramatically across the United States. The average daily death rate is less than a tenth of what it was at the height of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University — but nearly 300 people still die of Covid-19 every day in the United States.

However, the people who died of Covid-19 in May were disproportionately younger and more black than those who died of Covid-19 throughout the pandemic, a CNN analysis of CDC data showed. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN reporter Jake Tapper last week that Americans who continue to die of Covid-19 are “significantly” vulnerable. In general, vaccine coverage among young people was lower and slowly increasing over time, compared to other age groups. According to a report recently published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their intent to get vaccinated is lower, too. If the rate of weekly vaccinations continues on average from the week of May 22, only 57.5% of people under 30 will have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of August. The weekly rate for newly vaccinated adults aged 18 to 29 years decreased from 3.6% to 2%. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that of the 20 million young people vaccinated, only about 300 have been reported, which is just 0.002 percent.

Brett, who works for a record company in Atlanta, says she doesn’t trust the vaccine and instead trusts her immune system.

“I’d rather go take the vitamin C or make sure I eat healthy just to make sure it’s better for me to fight back than just take the vaccination.”

Brett stresses that she knows Covid-19 is real and that she continues to wear a mask at work and around friends and family.

But it’s the mindset of young people like Brett that worries the experts.

“You probably won’t get this disease,” said Dr. Lena Win, CNN’s medical analyst. However, even individuals with mild illness can have long-term symptoms.

“There are people who have lost their hair, people who still have a loss of taste or smell. Individuals who have difficulty concentrating memory, pain in the nerves and muscles,” she said.

CDC researchers met last week to discuss very rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis that have been reported among most recently vaccinated young adults and adolescents.

They concluded that the benefits of mRNA vaccines far outweigh the risks. Wen explained that even if you develop myocarditis, you are likely to recover from it within days versus if you do catch Covid-19, you could become very ill and have long-term consequences.

“There is a widespread narrative that somehow young people do not get sick and do not die from the coronavirus, which is not true,” she said.

Wen has taken care of young people who have difficulty concentrating, who suffer from chronic fatigue and even walk the neighborhood because they have contracted Covid-19.

Intensify awareness efforts

Brett lives in Georgia – a state with some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country and where Covid-19 deaths were among the highest just last week.

As the White House partners with organizations and private companies to motivate adults under 30 to get vaccinated, some companies like Ax, a men’s grooming company, hold events at places like the Atlanta brewery to attract young people.

Blacks are the most under-vaccinated racial or ethnic group in the United States. More than 45% of the US population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but coverage among blacks is less than half that, about 22%.

“These lower rates may be due in part to vaccine frequency, but they may also be due to unequal access to the vaccine,” Dr. Lisa Cooper, founder of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equality, told CNN. “Many African Americans in the South live in rural areas with limited access to health care facilities. Furthermore, many people may experience other stresses related to housing, food, or job insecurity, which may prevent them from obtaining a vaccination.”

Julius Thomas is the CEO and founder of the non-profit organization The People’s Uprising and a friend of Brett. She is also a volunteer with the group.

Ironically, the nonprofit is planning to hold vaccine campaigns this month to target people like Brett.

“Go to the rinks, go to the top of golf or places like the belt line where the guys gather,” says Thomas.

Thomas hopes Brett will eventually come.

“We’re really pushing really hard because we care about you so much,” he says.

But Brett is steadfast in her doubt.

Although she knows the black community is still dying of Covid-19 at a higher rate than any other group, she says there is no telling if and when she will receive the vaccination.

“I just need to make sure it’s been around for a while as I know specifically what the side effects are.”

CNN’s Deidre MacPhillips and Jane Christensen contributed to this report.

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