John in Plano wrote:Back in November 2020 Pew Research ,its been reported, found out 42% of African Americans would get vaccinated. Lowest of racial and ethnic groups.
Allegedly blacks in the past were subjected to experiments and a distrust exists in some communities to this day.
That can't be right. We've been assure it's "structural and systemic racism".
There are a complex set of factors that account for why the pandemic is disproportionately affecting Black Americans, but it is important that we name structural and systemic racism as drivers of COVID-19 disparities. There was speculation early on in the pandemic about chronic underlying conditions and how some are more likely to succumb to COVID-19 when they have diabetes or other underlying conditions. Unfortunately, we know that Black Americans are more likely to have high rates of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions than whites, in part, due to structural inequities in access to critical resources necessary to maintain health.
Another factor is occupational vulnerability. Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to hold jobs that are essential to the function of critical infrastructure. These are jobs that require continuous interaction with the public and, in some cases, don’t offer benefits such as paid vacation or the option to work from home.
Availability and access to testing is another important factor. In the initial stages of the pandemic, there were many places where testing was limited or unavailable, or there were significant delays in processing the test results. Lack of access to adequate testing and timely results can both be liabilities in getting urgent and needed medical care.
Poverty is another social determinant of health, structured by institutional and systemic racism, that has played a role in COVID-19 disparities. Lack of access to medical care to seek treatment, quality health insurance, healthy food, standard housing, and clean water are all factors that can indirectly contribute to heightened vulnerability to exposure and infection and lead to negative COVID-19 outcomes.
It is critical that we take a close look at how racism and longstanding structural inequities and practices—past and present—shape these factors and contribute to negative COVID-19 outcomes.
https://sph.umich.edu/news/2020posts/co ... icans.html