By Janice K. Neal-Vincent, Ph.D,
Contributing Writer,
“Instrumental heroes and sheroes,” claimed Darryl Sellers, director of Public Relations for Creative Marketing Resources, have been around from the start to educate our communities about the importance of taking vaccines.” Sellers brought before the nation a panel of experts to increase public confidence in protecting and saving black lives with trusted messages in an 11 a.m. Webinar Wednesday, August 11.
Georgeta Dragoiu, White House Presidential Innovation Fellow and COVID-19 Public Education Campaign, HHS, denoted that panelists were dedicated to answer every question from black/African American communities. Increasing the number of medical doctors and vaccinating more of the targeted populace would lower the number of persons who have contracted the disease.
“There have been inequities. We’ve seen [early on] in this pandemic that blacks contract COVID-19 three times higher. It’s important to have the equitable opportunity conversation to prevent health disparities and to benefit society as a whole. We’ve seen hospitalization climbing, particularly for the unvaccinated, and we’re seeing more young people impacted by this virus,” elaborated Cameron Webb, M.D.
According to Webb, there is much work to do, but many persons are not confident in the safety of vaccinations. Since the pandemic, blacks have greater accessibility to getting vaccinated. They can even get vaccinated in pharmacies, beauty shops and barber shops. On another note, “We are seeing among adolescents lower vaccinations within the black community because parents are hesitant.”
Dr. Rachel Villanueva, president of the National Medical Association and clinical assistant professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, added, “Infections are prevalent among ages 12 to 17. We need our communities to trust us and to have conversations with us. Personally, it took me many months to convince my mother to get vaccinated. We are using fact and science to protect our communities, and we are urging all health workers and eligible black Americans to get vaccinated.”
Michele Benoit-Wilson, OB-GYN, WakeMed Health, Raleigh, North Carolina and a member of the Sister Circle, explained the difficulty involved in coaching and managing simultaneously. She and others reached out to black fraternities and sororities, churches, etc. and acquired more than 2,000 blacks and Latinos to be vaccinated. “But this delta variant has become a pandemic in the black community. If you are vaccinated, you can potentially spread the virus to the community,” she said.
Benoit-Wilson asserted that 20% of people now hospitalized in North Carolina are children. Now that schools are open, children need to be protected. Mask wearing is essential.
“Pregnant women,” said Benoit-Wilson, “have immune systems that are compromised, and we’re seeing more pregnant people being hospitalized and spreading the delta variant. So we need to have an honest conversation with families who are hesitant to take the vaccine. We know that black and brown people are vulnerable, and it is vital to get the message out.”
Panelists revealed during the question/answer session that (1) there is a large body of misinformation about COVID-19, and people should seek truth; (2) the delta variant is the dominant variable, and it is making people sick; (3) the majority of vaccinated people are protected; (4) the COVID-19 vaccine has not affected fertility; and (5) people should get vaccinated, wear masks and avoid crowded spaces.
The session concluded with Sellers thanking panelists and appealing to listeners to reach out in the communities where they reside to make a difference. “Together,” he stated, “we can make a difference.”
Be the first to comment