COVID-19: Vaccine hesitancy vs. anti-vaccination in minority communities
There’s a difference, and in some cases, can be the difference between life or death.
TOLEDO, Ohio — It’s already known that racial and ethnic minority groups are at an increased risk for complications from COVID-19, making it all the more important to get vaccinated — but there’s some hesitancy, as the Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Tosin Goje explains.
“We have a lot that creates mistrust but we also have a lot to lose by not protecting ourselves against coronavirus because there has been a lot of morbidity and mortality in the Hispanic and African American community from it,” she said. “So, we need to ask questions and when our questions have been answered we need to embrace this vaccine.”
Some minority communities have higher rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, asthma and other conditions. Many of these diseases are risk factors for severe COVID-19 infections, because people with chronic conditions have compromised immune systems and are more susceptible to infections.
Dr. Goje said getting the COVID-19 vaccine may mitigate these risk factors. She adds that when someone is vaccinated, they’re protecting themselves, the community and bringing us one step closer to bringing an end to the pandemic.
“One of the things I can tell you as a woman of color is, our communities, our faith based missions, our churches are important to us,” said Dr. Goje. “Getting this vaccine, slowing down the pandemic, shutting down the pandemic, will help us go back to our normal lives.”
Vaccine hesitancy in minority communities should not be confused with being against vaccinations altogether. She encourages medical providers to ask ‘why’ when someone declines a vaccine, answer their questions, and provide fact-based information about the shot.
