Time to be 'solutions-focused:' Tackling COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans

In this interview, Prof. Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, president of the National Medical Association (NMA), speaks to Medical News Today about vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans and some of the initiatives that are successfully tackling this issue.

In November 2020, just 42% of Black Americans were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Given that Black adults are, according to some studies, 3 times more likely to contract the new coronavirus than white adults, the high level of vaccine hesitancy among this population is of particular concern.

Much of this vaccine hesitancy is deeply rooted in centuries of oppression and white supremacist beliefs that informed medically exploitative practices against Black folks. With its long history of medical experimentation and other abusive practices, the medical establishment has “earned” the distrust of many Black Americans. 

But, as Prof. McDougle has told Medical News Today, this is the time to be “solutions-focused.” It is a time to focus on “building bridges” to overcome medical mistrust.

Prof. McDougle is Chief Diversity Officer, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, and professor of family medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. He spoke with MNT about some of the efforts that Black healthcare professionals and organizations have made, their successful results, and his hopes for the future. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Prof. Leon McDougle, MD, MPH: Well, to start, there has been an improvement. Looking at the Kaiser Family Foundation survey in September, 50% were willing to receive the vaccine, whereas just most recently in December, that improved to 62%, and at that same time, 35% said that they were unwilling to receive the vaccine. 

So that’s why the Black Coalition Against COVID — which includes a consortium of four Black medical schools: Howard, Morehouse, Meharry, and Charles R. Drew, along with the NMA, the National Black Nurses Association, the Montague Cobb Health Institute, the National Urban League, and Blackdoctor.org — have come together to speak to the Black community to inform them about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines. 

So, in part, the answer to your question is that Black healthcare professionals need to be speaking to the Black community about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.

Source: Medical News Today