A Pew poll found just 42% of Black Americans are willing to get vaccinated, despite 71% knowing someone who died or has been hospitalized from COVID. The concerns about public confidence in the COVID vaccines, especially within the Black community, has prompted many in the medical community to speak directly to those worries.
Louito Edje, MD, associate dean for graduate medical education at the UC College of Medicine and UC Medical Center, spoke with Newsy for a televised segment about the history that leads to hesitation for some in the Black community when it comes to vaccinations.
The Tuskegee experiment that left Black men untreated for syphilis and the brutal gynecological studies on enslaved Black women are only some of the examples.
"So there's history, and it's very justified," says Edje, also a UC Health family medicine physician. "I think the biggest impact that we will have is actually having those of us who have the vaccine, who live in communities with other people, see that we're doing very well."
Edje advocated for science right from the start. After her stepmother died from COVID, she volunteered for the Moderna vaccine clinical trial. She wanted to lead by example.
Listen to the full interview with Louito Edje, MD, and others on Newsy.
Learn more about Edje's thoughts on COVID-19 online.
Featured image of Louito Edje, MD, in the UC College of Medicine Simulation Center taken by Colleen Kelley/University of Cincinnati.
