About 20 African American ministers from across Mississippi are in Jackson, at New Hope Baptist Church to get the coronavirus vaccine and to encourage those in their communities to also get the shots. Bishop Ronnie Crudup Sr., is with New Horizon Church International in Jackson. He received his first dose.
“We need our people to live through this virus. And so to everybody and I thank you for the opportunity, please go take the vaccination unless you’ve got medical reasons from your doctor why you should not do this, some kind of precondition. Go take the shot,” said Crudup.
Crudup says he hasn’t experienced any side effects. The event is sponsored by the Mississippi Health Department and the Mississippi Medical Association. Executive Director Dr. Claude Brunson says while African Americans make up 38 percent of the state’s population, only 19 percent have received the coronavirus vaccine. He says access is an issue but that’s not the only concern.
“We do know there is hesitancy in the African American community to take the vaccine for a number of reasons. We also know that the black church has always been important in the African American community, the place where African Americans have gone for solac, for refuge, advice from their faith leaders,” said Brunson.
Brunson says that hesitancy comes from past experiences such as the Tuskegee Study. For 40 years beginning in 1932, public health officials including the CDC studied untreated syphilis in African American men and never gave them the cure when it became available.
“We have to recognize that and we have to address that, that’s what this event is trying to help to do,” said Brunson.
Two more state-run drive-thru sites opened yesterday. Now there are 21 locations providing vaccinations.
