OTTAWA -- Black medical experts from across Canada gathered for a virtual town hall on Saturday to dispel myths about the COVID-19 vaccine and to increase vaccine awareness in the community.
Dr. David Burt is a retired immunologist and part of the Black Scientist Equity Task Force. He says this was long overdue.
"There were so many questions in the chat that we weren’t able to deal with all of them," says Burt. "There is a lot of hesitancy in the community because of real and perceived inequities in terms of health care, historical medical abuses in the Black community."
Among the concerns is vaccine hesitancy. Last September, Statistics Canada reported nearly 77 per cent of Black Canadians surveyed said they were "not very likely to take a vaccine."
"What we find is that a lot of people who are hesitant about the vaccine have good reason. They’re very intelligent people. They just want the right answers in the context of their culture," says Dr. Ato Sekyi-Otu, health care chair for the organization behind the town hall, Black Opportunity Fund.
"We, at Black Opportunity Fund, have taken it upon ourselves to go out to our community, by bringing the voices from our own medical community, and having them communicate to everyone. And answer as many questions as we possibly can," says Charmain Emerson, co-founder at Black Opportunity Fund.
Ottawa community activist Ketcia Peters says there is a growing demand for more race-based COVID-19 data, after health officials found stark racial disparities in infection rates, hospitalizations and mortality.
"Right now, there's a high mistrust of wanting to take the vaccine," says Peters. "People are asking questions. They’re looking for answers and perhaps you know, this may or may not waiver their position."
"We recognize the hesitancy," says Sekyi-Otu. "As Black leaders across Canada, we wanted to do our part in educating our communities across Canada. Listening to their concerns, addressing their concerns and answers."
And while vaccinations now are well underway nationwide, according to Black Opportunity Fund, there is more confidence tonight when it comes to making a decision on immunization, after considering concerns specific to the Black culture.
"It really gives them the chance to speak to people who look like them," Says Burt. "Who are from their community, have experienced similar things that they’ve experienced. But we can talk to them, and address COVID and COVID vaccines in a scientific, but culturally sensitive manner as well."
