LOUISVILLE, Ky. — While more and more Americans are being vaccinated every day, there is still a large portion of the population that remains wary of the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, 35% of Black adults say they definitely or probably would not get vaccinated despite being disproportionately impacted by the virus. A poll released by the Pew Research Center showed only 42% of Black Americans said they would receive the vaccine, significantly less than Hispanics and white adults.
"We have to be honest as Americans," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said. "There is an ugly American history, ugly medical history, for Black Americans to overcome."
Black Americans say their concerns stem from systemic racism, noting the infamous government-backed Tuskegee Syphilis Study, how quickly the vaccine was developed, side effects, and unknown long term effects, but Black health medical professionals in Louisville said they are hoping to change that narrative.
In an effort to combat the distrust and concerns of the community, Black medical professionals received their COVID-19 vaccinations Monday night.
Dr. Sherry Babbage, just one of the medical professionals vaccinated, said she hopes to lead by example, showing communities of color her experience step-by-step to ease concerns.
"It's vital to saving our lives, it's vital to getting back to some sort of normalcy," Babbage said. "I think we need to know as a community, that there are people that have our best interests at heart."
Babbage said that if the Black community sees people that look like them receiving the vaccine, they will be more inclined to receive it. Rev. Kevin Cosby, also in attendance, reiterated the importance of the Black community receiving the vaccine.
"I don't agree with Roosevelt, who said 'All we have to fear, is fear itself,'" Cosby said. "There's a lot of things to fear, and one of those things we should fear is COVID-19."
RELATED: Phases 1A & 1B: Officials detail Kentucky's COVID-19 vaccination plans as positivity rate declines
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