Vaccine Town Hall For Black Community Scheduled For Feb. 22

ROCKVILLE, MD — Distrust of vaccines runs deep in Black communities across America. To combat skepticism among residents, Montgomery County officials will be holding a town hall on Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.

The virtual event will be hosted by County Executive Marc Elrich and Councilmembers Will Jawando and Craig Rice. Other guests include County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles and FDA Office Director Nicole Verdun.

At the town hall, officials will discuss vaccine safety and why it's important for everyone to get their shot. Residents are encouraged to ask questions during the forum.

"The COVID-19 health crisis has impacted a disproportionate number of people in the county, and throughout the nation, in minority communities," officials said in a statement. "Some members of minority communities also have expressed reluctance to get vaccines when they are available."

In Montgomery County, less than 11 percent of African-Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine. For comparison, 54 percent of White residents have received at least one dose.

Vaccine hesitancy among Black communities is rooted in years of medical abuse and racism.

A well-known example is the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment — a federal study on African-American men in Tuskegee, Alabama, between 1932 and 1972. About 600 Black men enrolled in the experiment, but were only told they were receiving treatment for "bad blood." Of that group, nearly 400 men had syphilis.

In the 1940s, when penicillin became the standard treatment for the disease, subjects were denied care — leading to dozens of preventable deaths.

Click here to register for the event.

The webinar also will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery (Channel CCM), MCPS, MCM, Takoma Park, MMC, MC, and Rockville 11. It will be streamed at www.ConnectMontgomery.com, on the county's website, on the county's Facebook page, and on the county's YouTube channel.