I want to trust the vaccine

A container labelled Coronavirus vaccine.

Photo courtesy of Hakan Nural/unsplash.com

I’m a bit wary about taking the new vaccine. They got it out fast and I’m aware that medical science has produced better machines and medication for us to have better health longer.

But, as a Black woman, I can’t shake out of my mind what happened back in 1932: the “Tuskegee Experiment,” the infamous syphilis study where 399 sharecroppers who participated in that study were left untreated and allowed to go insane, blind, and experience other health ailments.

I probably ought to stay off of Facebook because of all the theories about this COVID-19 vaccine to supposedly get people’s faces all twisted after taking the vaccine. There’s another one that they are tagging people with chips while getting the vaccine. But Channel 9 verified on December 20th or 21st that the tagging chips story is untrue and that doctors are saying everyone should get the vaccine to slow down the spread of the virus.

That makes sense to me. But is everyone getting the same vaccine as the rich and the politicians? That’s what has me wary of taking the vaccine.

Sure, the vaccine has side effects, but it’s still 90% effective against the virus. That has me fretful and wary to not take the vaccine, as a Black woman.

The infamous Tuskegee Experiment reassured all 399 Black sharecroppers they would have 100% complete bona fide health care during this study. All the while, they knew penicillin was the best treatment for syphilis at that time. So, why do the study in the first place?

In Michigan, many Black people are saying that they won’t even get tested for COVID-19, much less vaccinated. That has me really want to take the vaccine again.

A lot of information is being sent out on Facebook and on our local news stations. It’s almost too much. I’m getting stressed out by all this information. So, I’m opting out in getting that vaccine until someone can reassure me that it’s OK to take.

The President and Vice President, other politicians, or other rich folks are not the ideal people to make me take the vaccine.


Issues |Civil Rights|COVID-19|Health, Physical|Systemic Racism

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