In assessing the controversy over COVID-19 and vaccination, my mind was drawn to this very famous Shakespearian quote from the play “Hamlet”: “To be, or not to be.”
The idea of whether it is better to live or to die seems to be the question when discussing vaccination from the virus.
People of color, primarily African American people, have higher mortality rates along with lower vaccination rates. According to the Center for Disease Control, African American, Hispanic and Native American people are about four times more likely to be hospitalized and nearly 3 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than white people.
Yet African Americans have nearly the lowest rates of vaccination among any ethnic group. So, the question “To be, or not to be” — to live or to die — becomes paramount.
Black Americans have the lowest vaccination rates of any racial or ethnic group, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The share of Black people who are vaccinated is about 6 to 7 percentage points lower than that of white or Hispanic people and 10 percentage points lower than that of Asians.
The history involving African Americans and the lack of trust created and established from unethical health care experiments (the Tuskegee syphilis study) and scandals involving no informed consent (Henrietta Lacks) and the many other horrible atrocities committed against African Americans have contributed to the avoidance in seeking health care. These historical events have contributed to the health care disparities today. In addition, we are living in a climate where COVID-19 and the vaccination have been used as political pawns.
In an article last year, researcher Christos Makridis of Arizona State University and economist Jonathan Rothwell of Gallup contend the pandemic could have been instrumental in bringing the country together. Instead, it has caused the country to experience extreme and growing political divisions. Our political parties and affiliations have been instrumental in predicting our attitudes on COVID-19 and vaccination.
I cannot understand how matters of public health — and life and death — have created such a division in our society. Health care disparities, systematic racism, atrocities of the past and present have resulted in the deaths of the least of these: primarily African Americans.
How do we move forward? Common sense must prevail. COVID-19 does not care about what happened in the past. As horrible as the injustices, crimes, unethical behavior and lies were — and still are — COVID-19 does not care.
COVID-19 does not care about your political party. The fact that you are a Democrat or Republican is irrelevant. COVID-19 simply does not care. The only thing that matters is recognizing the fact that we are all at risk, especially African Americans. COVID-19 seeks to kill, steal and destroy our lives.
One proven and effective way to protect yourself is to choose to be vaccinated. Vaccination against COVID-19 saves lives. If no action is taken, African Americans will continue to be disproportionately affected by this virus.
“To be, or not to be” — the choice is yours. Do not be a statistic. Discuss with your doctor or health care provider about getting vaccinated today.
Rev. Karla Renee Garcia is pastor of S.S. Morris Community AME Church in Madison, Wisconsin, a Rockford, Illinois School of Nursing graduate and holds a Master’s of Business Administration in health services management from Keller Graduate School of Management.