ELKHART COUNTY COVID-19
  • Prevent
  • Test
  • ECHD
  • Vaccines
    • What is a virus?
    • What is a vaccine?
    • Why could they make the vaccine so quickly?
    • How many vaccines are being developed?
    • How soon can I get a vaccine?
    • How long does immunity from the vaccination last?
    • What about herd immunity?
    • Can I trust the vaccine?
    • Will the ECHD mandate the vaccine?
    • Vaccines & People of Color
    • Sources
  • Real Stories
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Vaccines & People of Color

The COVID-19 pandemic has been widely documented as hitting communities of color particularly hard. Sadly, it is likely the strength of these communities relationships and connections that have contributed to the spread of the disease. Because people of color tend to have stronger family relationships and friendships and tend to meet more regularly, there is an increased chance of spreading COVID-19. This is been shown in Elkhart County where both the Latino and African-American/Black communities have higher rates of infection. Notably, the Amish community also has higher rates which are likely due to similar reasons.
 
The vaccine is particularly important to help protect these communities but those communities have sadly experienced prejudice in the medical field as well. This is not about being sensitive to certain remarks or language but about longstanding, factual experiments that were carried out on African-Americans without their knowledge and/or consent. One infamous example of this includes J. Marion Sims who operated on enslaved black women without anesthesia. Another example is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972) which deliberately deceived and never offered treatment to nearly 400 black Southern men who were infected. 128 men died from the disease or related complications. The study was only stopped in 1972 when a whistleblower called attention to it.
 
There are African-Americans who are prominently involved in the development of these vaccines, people like Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett who worked with Moderna on their vaccine. However, there is no short or easy answer to overcome the distrust that historic mistreatment has caused. We hope that honest and direct conversations with health officials, doctors, and community leaders can help build trust in the vaccine. Please reach out to the Elkhart County COVID-19 hotline for more information (574-523-2106).


Las vacunas y las personas de color:
 
Se ha documentado ampliamente que la pandemia de COVID-19 ha afectado particularmente fuerte a las comunidades de color. Tristemente, es la fuerza de las conexiones y relaciones de estas comunidades las que han contribuido a la transmisión de la enfermedad. A razón de que las personas de color suelen tener relaciones y amistades más fuertes y se reúnen con más frecuencia, hay un incremento en la probabilidad de transmisión del COVID-19. Esto se ha mostrado en el Condado de Elkhart donde las comunidades Latinas y Afroamericanas muestran tasas de infección más altas. Notablemente, la comunidad Amish también tiene tasas más altas que son probablemente el resultado de razones similares.
 
La vacuna es particularmente importante para ayudar a proteger a estas comunidades, pero lamentablemente estas comunidades también han experimentado prejuicios en el campo médico. Esto no se trata de ser sensibles a ciertos comentarios o lenguaje, sino estar conscientes de experimentos comprobables que se llevaron a cabo en Afroamericanos sin su conocimiento y/o consentimiento. Un ejemplo infame de esto incluye a J. Marion Sims quien operó a las mujeres negras esclavizadas sin anestesia. Otro ejemplo es el del Estudio de Sífilis de Tuskegee (1932-1972) en donde 400 hombres negros del sur fueron infectados, engañados y no se les ofreció tratamiento. 128 hombres murieron de la enfermedad o de complicaciones relacionadas. El estudio sólo se detuvo en 1972 cuando una persona se alertó y llamó atención al asunto.
 
Hemos tenido a Afroamericanos que han participado de manera prominente en el desarrollo de estas vacunas, personas como la Dra. Kizzmekia Corbett, quien trabajó en Moderna con su vacuna. Sin embargo, no hay una respuesta corta o sencilla para sobreponerse a la desconfianza que el maltrato histórico ha causado. Esperamos que las conversaciones directas y honestas con oficiales de salud, doctores y líderes comunitarios puedan ayudar a construir la confianza en esta vacuna. Por favor póngase en contacto con la Línea de Ayuda para COVID-19 del Condado de Elkhart para más información (574-523-2106).


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  • Prevent
  • Test
  • ECHD
  • Vaccines
    • What is a virus?
    • What is a vaccine?
    • Why could they make the vaccine so quickly?
    • How many vaccines are being developed?
    • How soon can I get a vaccine?
    • How long does immunity from the vaccination last?
    • What about herd immunity?
    • Can I trust the vaccine?
    • Will the ECHD mandate the vaccine?
    • Vaccines & People of Color
    • Sources
  • Real Stories
    • Submit a Story
  • Mental Health
  • Need Help?
    • Food Assistance
    • Rent & Mortgage Assistance
    • Unemployment
    • Medical
  • CONTACT