Vaccines, Clinical Trials & Health Studies Should Blacks Participate?

Special guests, ATUARRA MCCASLIN, All of Us Research Center at MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, and regular clinical trial participant, ALEASA WORD drops by to discuss the distrust AFRICAN AMERICANS have for medical research studies and how that distrust affects our health outcomes. For example, AFRICAN AMERICANS have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 in the U.S., yet there are large portions of the AFRICAN AMERICAN community who openly say that will refuse a vaccine if and when it comes online. DR. ALETHA MAYBANK, 1st AFRICAN-AMERICAN head of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, says BLACK participation in clinical trials are necessary for the success of those trials. How can the medical field overcome this distrust, largely from the TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT, to improve on AFRICAN-AMERICAN participation in clinical trials? Do we need an influx of BLACK SCIENTISTS and DOCTORS entering the medical field to ensure a diversity of studies & trials? What if more studies and clinical trials were led by HBCUs? MENTAL DIALOGUE asking the questions America's afraid to ask. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU THINK