Alabama study finds only 17 percent of low-income Black and Latinx participants willing to get COVID-19 vaccine

A study conducted by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers found that just one in six low-income Black and Latinx focus group participants were willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine. About half of participants said that they were unsure about whether they would get vaccinated and one third said they would not. A common reason for not being willing to receive a vaccine was serious mistrust of scientists and the government that has been well-earned through a history of medical mistreatment and exploitation. In each focus group, participants brought up the Tuskegee study (conducted in Alabama over a period of 40 years) in which Black men with syphilis were drafted into a research study without consent, told they were receiving treatment when they were not, and provided no option to exit the study. UAB researchers plan to use findings from the focus groups to appropriately tailor their vaccine outreach plan, which will center on transparency and safety. #covid-19 #racialequity