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NEW: Black pastors in the U.S. have been crucial, trusted educators on COVID-19 prevention for their communities during the pandemic. But now that the vaccine is here, many say they're not ready to endorse it. Story w/ @makinibrice and thread 1/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccines-black-pas/some-u-s-black-pastors-key-players-in-covid-education-are-hesitating-to-push-vaccine-idUSKBN28W16R
We interviewed a dozen pastors. All are looking out for the health of their parishioners, and all said they believe the vaccine will ultimately be necessary to end the pandemic, but most said they did not feel comfortable endorsing it right now, today, in public. 2/
Public health officials know that faith communities will have a huge influence on vaccine uptake. Black churches have long played a key role in the wellbeing of their communities & been hubs for social mobilization-in other health crises, but also in the Civil Rights movement. 3/
In a recent Reuters poll, 49% of Black Americans said they were interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 63% of white Americans. Other national polls show that gap to be even greater. 4/
Two reasons why Black pastors are hesitant to promote the vaccine are a) they want more information on it and b) they are keenly aware of this distrust among Black people, and they understand the valid reasons for it. 5/
They say Black people’s distrust is caused in part by the vaccine’s fast development and Trump's covid response, but largely it’s rooted in decades of history, including... 6/
...being on the short end of unequal healthcare access and treatment in the U.S., being underrepresented in medical trials & being used in medical experiments (most infamously Tuskegee) 7/
"I don't know if will ever be a hardcore advocate for a vaccine just because, again, I know the history of health equity in this country," one pastor told me, adding that he might lose his credibility and be seen as “tone deaf” if he pushed a new vaccine from the pulpit. 8/
This leaves Black faith leaders in a tough position, because they also don’t want their communities to be left out of a treatment that could end the pandemic that has proven nearly 2.8 times more deadly for Black Americans than white 9/
Many said they are in “wait and see” mode. They’re not going to push their parishioners to be the first in line to get it. They want more info from trusted voices on its safety and efficacy, and they will share that with church members to help them decide if they want it. 10/
Clinical trial data is not enough assurance. They want to see other Black leaders, Black health experts, endorse and take it. They want local public officials, who have had sustained, genuine engagement with their communities, to vouch for it. 11/
One promising vote of approval came yesterday - the National Medical Association, an organization of Black healthcare providers, announced support for the FDA’s emergency approval of the Pfizer and Moderna shots after independently reviewing the clinical trial data. 12/
Still, Black pastors are largely waiting for experts to explain how the vaccine works in layman’s terms & to address, not overlook, their communities’ fears. They want to be shown respect & armed with accurate info. Health officials can't assume they will automatically buy in.END
