CINCINNATI, Ohio — Researchers are trying to get more minorities to test out the new coronavirus trial vaccine, but some might be hesitant to jump in. 


What You Need To Know


  • Out of 50 COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteers, only four were minorities

  • Experts say some may be hesitant from decades of racist experiments on minorities

  • Researchers say there are now regulations in place to prevent that and need more minority participation

Researchers had no idea who or how many would show up to get the first coronavirus trial vaccine, but they knew what they may not see: diversity.

"I am a psychologist. I'm not a virologist, so I am not right there injecting folks with the trial, but I am involved in helping to recruit, helping to understand the concerns,” said Dr. Lori Crosby, a psychologist and University of Cincinnati Medical professor.

The concern is out of the 50 people who came to Cincinnati Children’s research center to get the trial vaccine, only four of them were minorities.
Crosby said the problem dates back decades.

“This is really due to historical mistrust from researchers—people are probably very familiar with the Tuskegee experiment,” said Crosby.

The Tuskegee experiment happened more than 40 years ago, from the 1930’s to the 1970’s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was a secret federal experiment on Black men to study the effects of syphilis without treatment.

“Research was conducted on people of color without their informed consent,” said Crosby.

Something that became common back then, along with other forms of racism in the medical research.

“The other thing we’re at risk for is social inequities that make access to health care and other things worse. We know that racism affects health,” said Crosby.

But she said although some may be reluctant because of the past, changes have been made from it, requiring researchers to get consent.
And Crosby said minorities need to be represented in today’s vaccine trials.

“It’s not the skin color, it’s that Black Americans, Latinx Americans and Indigenous people are more at risk for some of the underlying health conditions that make the infection worse,” said Crosby.

It’s the reason she said they’re stepping up their efforts to recruit more minorities in the next round of the vaccine trials that’s starting now.

The study is expected to be finished by this fall.