Some Texas people are hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This is how health officials counter skepticism.

When Julieta Hernandez began hearing the first grunt about the COVID-19 vaccine arriving in Texas soon, Rockport writers and bartenders decided she would be shot when her time came. There was no doubt about it.

And she sat down for breakfast with her vegetarian parents, a lifelong believer in homeopathic treatment with deep skepticism about the vaccine and distrust of the government.

“You’re not going to get it, right?” They asked her.

Now, 22-year-old Hernandez knows “that’s right,” but feels guilty because she wants to trust her parents and her own naturalistic upbringing.

“There is a lot of distrust that comes from honesty,” Hernandez said. “For many, I think people have to realize that this kind of life goes against their way of life. I think they have the right to guess again and decide what they want to do. I will. “

Millions of people like Hernandez and her oppose the idea of ​​a new vaccine promoted by a government they don’t fully trust, and it says the virus can’t be stopped by at least 70%. It raises concerns among health authorities-and some say 80% of the population is immune.

An immunologist in Fort Worth and the American Medical Association. “It is very important to educate the general public about coronavirus vaccines in a responsible manner, without unintentionally inciting the vaccine.”

Research by Pew Research Center Shows that confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine is increasing and more and more people have few reports of problems, but acceptance rates are still low in some groups, such as conservatives, locals, and black adults. It is known to be less than 70%.

Tracker Created by the Kaiser Family Foundation to track confidence in vaccines, in early December, 71% of the population said they would be vaccinated reliably or perhaps from 63% in September. Shown. However, according to the same study, about 27% of Americans say they will or will not take the vaccine, even if it is considered free and safe by scientists.

Ann October University of Texas / Texas Tribune Poll We found that when a vaccine against the coronavirus became available at low cost, 42% of registered voters in Texas said they would try to get it, and 36% said they wouldn’t. June UT / Texas Politics Project Poll They will be vaccinated against the disease.

The hurdles of what experts call “vaccine hesitation” or “vaccine skepticism” are the color community, the small but loud anti-vaccine crowd, social media-fueled conspiracy theories and distrust by the general public. It remains a major challenge for health authorities trying to overcome it. Suspicion on the part of the country with the trauma.

Carolyn Brown Boyles, a retiree from Terrell, has always been vaccinated against influenza and pneumococcal vaccine, but said hesitated because the COVID-19 vaccine is so new. She was afraid of the virus, but was worried about the side effects of the vaccine after hearing misleading information.

“I don’t know if it’s just the media or the people who are forming their opinion. About half of my friends say they accept it, and half say they won’t do it until it’s long.” Boyles said.

Dr. Sam Sun of Baylor deploys in a way that gives confidence to those on the fence, as it can take six to nine months for everyone who wants the vaccine to have access to the vaccine. States that you need to do. Director of inDemic, a non-profit pandemic think tank at the Medical University of Houston.

“People are watching,” Sun said. “In the short term, I feel that there are many other issues related to pandemics and the introduction of vaccines. If we understand them correctly, it will be much easier to address the medium-term issues of vaccine repellent. Will be. “

Set an example

The end of last week, Texas Sen.Eddie Lucio Jr., Brownsville Democrats and the Elderly, Heated For getting his vaccine on Saturday before people like him had access to the vaccine.

But Lucio, whose border members were hit hard by the virus, said part of his motive was to fight what he called a “shocking” amount of hesitation.

Lucio, who has represented the Rio Grande Valley area, said: 30 years.

Recently, similar messages have been sent top-down. President-elect Joe Biden and President-elect Mike Pence have taken COVID-19 shots in front of a television camera in the past few days.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Health Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstett received injections on Tuesday At a live streaming eventAbbott said he was advised by US Secretary of Health and Welfare Alex Azar and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“For leaders like the governor, it is very important to step up and make sure they are shown to the general public by vaccination in front of the TV camera … this is very safe and very important. It’s a simple process, “said Abbott shortly before receiving it. shot. “I never ask Texan to do what I don’t want to do, so I step up, vaccinate and show that everything works.”

After the injection, Abbott stretched his arms and smiled behind the mask.

“It’s that easy,” he said.

For some people, the message is unlikely to resonate immediately. Especially for members of the anti-vaccination movement decades ago, it has surged in recent years “under the banner of freedom of health and freedom of care”. , Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development.

During the pandemic, anti-mask and anti-shutdown protests helped fuel the fear of vaccines, he said.

“I’ve been making zoom calls all year round on how to amplify the message. [about the importance of vaccines]Let’s send a message, “said Hotez. But he said the message of the medical community was “a bottled message in the Atlantic Ocean. We have to do something about the Atlantic Ocean.”

Reach out to the color community

Colored races are most affected by pandemics, from the prevalence of essential, high-risk jobs to the lack of access to health care and the cultural history abused by government health programs.

“There are many accidents and unfortunate and painful historical events related to the study that talks about the need to build these coalitions involving blacks in the process,” said the president of the country’s oldest National Medical Association. Said Dr. Leon McDougle. It is the largest organization specializing in black doctors and their patients.

The black community is still upset by the following historic events: Tuskegee syphilis experimentLucailla Yarby, a law professor and secretary general at St. Louis University and co-founder of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, said they were also influenced by last year’s personal experience. Stated.

“Public health officials continue to show that African-American and Latino-American numbers are being disproportionately damaged by the virus, but provide support and access to testing and treatment. It takes a lot of time, “said Yearby. “In fact, you can see what happened in the last nine months and see why people hesitate … you don’t offer them [personal protective equipment] Protection against workplace or workplace infections. And now, suddenly you’ll want to say a little, we have this vaccine for you. “

A $ 250 million public relations campaign by national health authorities is underway to build public confidence in vaccines nationwide, part of which is directed to the color community.

Texas authorities have not outlined strategies for reaching black residents within the scope of the vaccine deployment plan. Recent survey By ProPublica.

Local hospitals, doctors, politicians, and community members take up the mantle as much as possible.

In the Houston Methodist’s healthcare system, authorities are monitoring which employees are voluntarily vaccinated, and color staff are undervalued, said Houston Methodist Chief Innovation Officer. One Roberta Schwartz said.

Approximately 30% of the staff are Caucasian, accounting for 40% of the initial application, but the number continues to grow and it is still too early to “set a huge alarm flag”.

“That’s what society really needs to be aware of. If that trend continues, it’s very worrisome to me,” she said.

To reach the black community and other residents This system, hesitant about vaccines, is a church and other local group advocating for colored races to hold town hall-style meetings, answer questions and address concerns using other communication strategies. Partnering with Diversity, Fairness, Houston Methodist Inclusion Officer.

In Austin Vaccine Distribution Union Cassandra Deleon, Interim Assistant Director for Disease Prevention in Austin Public Health, is hesitant or difficult to access vaccines, including not only providers but also community organizations, faith-based groups, universities, schools, etc. The purpose is to reach people. Health Promotion.

“If you really want to flatten the curve with COVID-19, you definitely need to make sure you’re doing due diligence against a heterogeneous population,” she said.

To do this, Austin uses a system it has developed over the years to provide medical services and information to color residents, said Adrian Starap, assistant director of the city’s health inequalities and community engagement department. Stated.

She said the city used tools such as the Virtual City Hall and the Community Healthcare Provider Network to communicate with the group during the pandemic and will continue to do so until the vaccine is deployed.

“My wish for you”

In Rio Grande Valley, where there are areas of death comparable to the state’s most populous counties, skepticism and conspiracy theories have spread throughout the community, according to the Hidalgo County Health Department, a survivor of COVID-19. Dr. Ivan Melendez said. Virus.

“As you know, blacks, Latinos, and older people suffer disproportionately, but most people here are expected to say’sign up’,” Melendez said. I did. “But every day the media explains to people that this is the safest vaccine ever, but there are still many incredible conspiracy theories. This nonsense that the government is trying to track you. . Very frustrating. “

Vaccine acceptance rates among healthcare professionals at two of the largest medical facilities in the Rio Grande Valley, where Hispanics make up more than 90% of the population tOps out 60%, officials at those hospitals said.

On Tuesday, Dr. John Claus, Dean of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Medical College, said: I took you to Facebook live Answer questions and fight rumors and skepticism about the COVID-19 vaccine in the face of “a lot of false information that is commonly happening about it.”

“What I really want to say in advance is that it’s your time and you should do it when you are prioritized to get the vaccine,” Crouse said. “We really know that vaccines are a way for all of us to return to a more normal life … this is my wish for you.”

Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Facebook, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Upbring are financial backers of Texas Tribune, a non-profit, non-partisan news organization partially funded by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in tribune journalism.Find the perfect one List them here..