This picture reflects the present mistrust of African American population to COVID-19 vaccination. The story behind this picture is related to the scandalous Tuskegee Syphilis experiment conducted for forty years. In partnership with the Tuskegee Institute, Public Health Service organized a study recruiting six hundred African American men from the poverty-stricken regions of Alabama. By 1972, most of the recruited men died, and those who stayed alive had infected their wives and children with syphilis. Opinions were divided in two groups: some believed that the men already had suffered from syphilis, while others thought that the men were infected due to the injections. This case reported increased skepticism toward the American healthcare system among African American population.
We could see the impact of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment eighty-nine years later, as many African Americans refuse to receive COVID-19 Vaccines. My study concentrates on the relationship between African-Americans’ COVID-19 vaccination levels and the influence of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Moreover, the study includes additional factors such as discrimination and racism in the health care system. Identifying racial disparities could be helpful to detect and understand the African-Americans’ motives. In addition, it is crucial to determine the contribution of the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment to future vaccination patterns. The situation with COVID-19 vaccination is critical because of higher rates of contamination and fatality.
On the other hand, the fears and doubts of African American population toward COVID-19 vaccinations could be understood. The centuries of slavery and continuous discrimination have left their trace on African Americans’ mentality. Furthermore, the recently developed COVID-19 vaccine has not revealed its long-term side effects. This raises concerns not only African Americans but also other American population regardless of race and ethnicity.
Reference
Center for Disease Control/National Archives Catalog (n.d.). Photograph.