Washington Taps Pastors to Overcome Racial Divide on Vaccine
Ashraf Khalil and Hilary Powell of the Associated Press report that public health officials are turning to Black religious leaders to encourage vaccination in Black communities. Black clergy are serving as models for their communities by receiving the vaccine early, and they are promoting immunization in sermons in order to instill faith in the vaccine among their congregants. Yet logistical challenges remain even for those in the community who desire a vaccine, renewing historic skepticism within the Black community about equitable medical treatment.