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Photo by Brendan McDermid/Reuters |
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Vaccine Hesitancy Is High Among Black
Americans
Evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are extremely safe
and effective. But Black Americans have high levels of hesitancy concerning
immunization. For people who have long faced discrimination, medical mistrust
is a rational “survival mechanism,” says
RAND's Laura Bogart. But lower vaccination rates among Black Americans would
only exacerbate the damaging racial inequities of the pandemic. To better understand how to address this challenge, Bogart and
her colleagues surveyed a nationally representative sample of 207 Black
Americans. Here's what they found: ·
More
than one-third of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would not
get a COVID-19 vaccine. An additional 25 percent said they “don't know” if
they would get vaccinated. ·
Health
care workers showed higher vaccine hesitancy than those in other fields, with
48 percent indicating that they would not get vaccinated. ·
Key
drivers of vaccine hesitancy appear to be mistrust of the government's
motives and transparency around COVID-19, as well as beliefs about racism in
health care. ·
Respondents
reported higher trust in COVID-19 information that comes from health care
providers and public health officials than from elected officials. The researchers stress that it's important to address people's
specific concerns. For instance, messaging about COVID-19 vaccines should
first acknowledge systemic racism as a justifiable reason for mistrust, and
then provide accurate information about the vaccines, including details about
efficacy and safety. Read more » |
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