Only 5% of African Americans have received the Coronavirus vaccine compared to 60% of Whites and just over 11% of Hispanics. This hesitancy is fueled by speculation about the shot having fatal effects. It was recently rumored that the late baseball legend Hank Aaron died from the shot since he passed away days after being injected publicly. Aaron, in fact, died of natural causes according to the coroner's report. Deeply embedded skepticsm based on the Tuskeegee Experiment and the mistreatment of Blacks in healthcare situations are also factors that are causing Blacks not to get vaccinated. False reports are becoming a main deterent.
It is important to trust the facts and check the sources. Unverified social media posts and conversations between friends, family members and neighbors may not be rooted in fact. Officials in places like Atlanta are going into Black neighborhoods to hand out pamphlets with Coronavirus vaccine facts and information hoping to encourage more Blacks -- who lead in Coronavirus deaths -- to take the shot when and where it is available.