Dozens of Black health experts from the National Academy of Medicine signed on in support of a letter urging Black Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The letter, published in The New York Times Feb. 7, is backed by 60 Black health professionals, including lead authors Thomas LaVeist, PhD, a medical sociologist and dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at New Orleans-based Tulane University, and Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association.
The authors called for a stop to the rampant disinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines, writing that spreading such lies fuels a long history of distrust of health institutions among the Black community and is a threat to the health of Black Americans.
"We feel compelled to make the case that all Black Americans should get vaccinated to protect themselves from a pandemic that has disproportionately killed them at a rate 1.5 times higher as white Americans in cases in which race is known — a rate that is most likely very conservative," the authors wrote.
The letter cited a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation that highlighted disparities related to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, showing 43 percent of Black Americans said they were taking a "wait and see" approach to getting a vaccine.
The authors emphasized the science behind vaccine development, as well as the Black scientists who worked on COVID-19 vaccines and their role in reviewing efficacy data.
"We encourage you to claim your place in line to get vaccinated. Do this for yourself. Do this for your community. We are asking you to trust our advice because we are a part of you. And together we can save lives," the letter reads.
To read the full letter, click here.
To view the full list of health professionals who supported the letter, click here.