February 01, 2021
This week the “Vaccinated for YOU” community awareness and communications campaign continues with why’s from Dr. Roosevelt Walker III and Tira Williams. They share their perspective on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the African American community and why they personally felt it so important to get the vaccine.
The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified systemic health disparities for African Americans and other people of color, including access to care, trust of the medical and science community, quality of care and outcomes. Click here to watch a TriHealth video that talks about the history of racial disparities in healthcare research, racial disparities in COVID infection and outcomes, and the racial and ethnic breakdowns of the clinical trials of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (video created by Rachel Baker, Sharon Brehm, Kimberly Carter and Michele Huff). To learn more about the examples of racial disparities in healthcare research discussed in the video, click here: Henrietta Lacks and the Tuskegee Experiment.
Below the testimonials see tangible ways you can participate in the "Vaccinated for YOU" campaign, helping educate and motivate all our patients and community members to get their COVID-19 vaccine, when eligible and vaccines available.
Dr. Roosevelt Walker III, Associate Program Director for the TriHealth Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Training Program and the Associate Medical Director of the Ob/Gyn Centers for Women's Services
“I received the vaccination for personal and professional reasons. I am a 66-year-old African American physician with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. These risk factors along with my medical profession are factors which place me at high risk for complications with the novel coronavirus. The decision for me was easy.
I am also a member of the Cincinnati Medical Association (CMA). The Cincinnati Medical Association, founded in 1925, is the professional society for African American and other underrepresented minority (URM) physicians in the Greater Cincinnati area. Membership, however, is not exclusive to URM physicians. The CMA is the local branch of the National Medical Association which was founded in 1895, at a time in the history of our country when African American physicians were not allowed to join the American Medical Association. The principal mission of the CMA is to support the delivery of the highest quality of care to the traditionally underserved communities of Cincinnati.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the disproportionate impact that it has had on people of color, the members of the CMA joined with colleagues across the country to educate our communities about the importance of accepting the vaccination. We have stressed that African American physicians have actively participated in developing the vaccine, conducting the clinical trials, and distributing the vaccinations. Having endorsed the vaccination, we authenticated our commitment by receiving the vaccination also.”
Tira Williams, DNP, RN NE-BC, Director of Medical-Surgical Services, Bethesda North
“COVID-19 has impacted so many lives and in order for us to get back some ‘normalcy’, receiving the vaccine is a must! As a nurse I feel it is my obligation to my peers and patients to get the vaccine to help protect them both. And, as an African American I must set the example for my community and assure them that it’s okay for us to get vaccinated. After doing my research on both Pfizer and Moderna I felt confident that both were safe to take. I found it very enlightening that Moderna slowed their study down in order to get more African Americans enrolled. This demonstrated to me they had an interest in how the vaccine would impact our community.
African Americans have every right to be apprehensive about the vaccination, however I also feel we are at a disadvantage when it comes to having access to the healthcare we need. There are other factors that plague our community that make us at greater risk of getting COVID-19 and dying from it. This is why it’s so important for us to get the vaccination. COVID-19 has impacted my family with everything from hospitalization to death. I don’t want anyone to experience this virus the way I have firsthand.
I received my vaccination on December 26th. I will admit I was a little nervous and so was my family. My uncle called me every day for three days afterwards to see how I was feeling. I felt fine besides my arm being a little sore. He said, “I feel better about getting the vaccination because of the example you have set.” That made me feel good and is part of my why. My 75-year-old mother, my children and so many others who look to me as a mentor and leader are just a small part of my why as I feel obligated to set the example for all of them. If me getting the vaccination can keep my mother healthy and allow me to visit her daily I would do it all over again.”
Now it's your turn!
- When you get your second dose:
- Pick up and proudly wear your “I got vaccinated for YOU” button.
- Take a selfie in front of the new “I Got Vaccinated for YOU” pull-up banners.
- Grab one of the “I got my COVID-19 Vaccine because…” flyers and fill out your why.
- Share your WHY…
- With family and friends.
- In the comments section below.
- And on social media. You can use the Facebook profile picture filter using this link: https://bit.ly/3nfQrLQ and use the hashtags #theTriHealthWay #IGotTheShot #ThisIsOurShot.
A big thank you to Dr. Roosevelt Walker III and Tira Williams for sharing why they chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Thanks Tira and Dr. Walker
Posted by: MichaelJeff Hill on February 03, 2021
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