The U.S. Surgeon General called the first day of vaccinations a historic day. And while this is a huge moment, he expressed concern that some minority communities are skeptical and might not get the shot.
Dr. Jerome Adams was adamant about the safety of the vaccine, but also understood where that fear is coming from and why people of color are cautious.
Dr. Jerome Adams: "To truly combat vaccine hesitancy and encourage diverse enrollment in clinical trials, we must first acknowledge this real history of mistreatment and exploitation of minorities by the medical community and the government. Then we need to explain and demonstrate all that has been done to address these wrongs, the protections and safeguards in place like the HHS Office of Human Research Protections and independent institutional review boards and data and safety monitoring boards to make sure tragedies like the Tuskegee Syphilis Study or the exploitation of Henrietta Lacks never happen again."
Adams mentioned people of color were an important part of developing a vaccine.
