Vaccine skepticism lurks in town famous for syphilis study

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — Lucenia Dunn spent the early days of the coronavirus pandemic encouraging people to wear masks and keep a safe distance from each other in Tuskegee, a mostly Black city where the government once used unsuspecting African American men as guinea pigs in a study of a sexually transmitted disease.

Now, the onetime mayor of the town immortalized as the home of the infamous “Tuskegee syphilis study” is wary of getting inoculated against COVID-19. Among other things, she’s suspicious of the government promoting a vaccine that was developed in record time when it can’t seem to conduct adequate virus testing or consistently provide quality rural health care.

“I’m not doing this vaccine right now. That doesn’t mean I’m never going to do it. But I know enough to withhold getting it until we see all that is involved,” said Dunn, who is Black.

The coronavirus immunization campaign is off to a shaky start in Tuskegee and other parts of Macon County. Area leaders point to a resistance among residents spurred by a distrust of government promises and decades of failed health programs. Many people in this city of 8,500 have relatives who were subjected to unethical government experimentation during the syphilis study.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-vaccine-skepticism-us-eae3315d2dfecd6443b56a2dc7bcb887

[Hortensis]

1. Over 27 M Americans alone of all races have been vaccinated.

We've all had time to see what's involved.

We also "see" that another 100,000 are expected to die during Biden's first month in office, and continuing after of course until this is finally controlled. And that, as last I heard, black death rates were something like 2.5 times higher than white!

I've seen several articles like this already. Paranoia and victim mentality are no more justified in this town than other minority areas, and their encouragement from venal media and exploitative partisan attention are likely to cost more stupid, unnecessary deaths. NO.

[BannonsLiver]

2. I hope the attitude changes because it's not helpful

I hope Dunn and others come around for their own safety. What happened in Tuskegee can simultaneously be abhorrent and wrong while also having literally nothing to do with what’s happening now with the Covid vaccines.