10:38 p.m. ET, December 18, 2020
US surgeon general says "historical wrongs" factor into Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among people of color
Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
CNN
Surgeon General Jerome Adams has spoken with people of color in the US and said they become emotional when discussing their hesitancy in getting the Covid-19 vaccine over government mistrust.
"We talk about historical wrongs, but one of the things we need to talk about are wrongs that are still going on today. When you look at Covid-19, the fact that you are three to five times more likely to end up in a hospital and/or die if you're African-American, Hispanic, or Native American, those are wrongs that are going on right now," Adams said during CNN's coronavirus town hall Friday evening.
Adams added: "We talk about pre-existing medical conditions, but we've got to start talking about pre-existing social conditions, transportation, safe, affordable housing, a good-paying jobs."
More context: Institutional racism in the
United States contributes to the disproportional impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the Black community, the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said on Tuesday.
When asked about the
racial disparities emerging amid the pandemic during the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on the "
Oversight of the Trump Administration's Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic," Fauci responded that the Black community has been facing a "double whammy."
Fauci noted that some Black adults may not be able to social distance
if they are essential workers, and there is a disproportionate prevalence of underlying conditions within the Black community, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, chronic lung disease and kidney disease.
"So unfortunately we have a situation where it's sort of a double whammy," Fauci said.
Watch the moment: