BOSTON — During Wednesday night’s Boston Public Health Commission meeting, officials made it clear that many community members in Roxbury, Mattapan, and Dorchester are hesitant to get vaccinated.
Boston 25 News sat down with a well-known reverend who says he will soon be vaccinated – and wants to show the community it’s safe to do so.
RELATED: Boston’s communities of color hit hardest by coronavirus outbreak
When the COVID vaccine is available, @HealthyBoston did a survey about who will and won’t get vaccinated.
— Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) January 20, 2021
The majority of people in the survey group here are African-Americans from Dorchester/Mattapan.@boston25 pic.twitter.com/lj682Yl4xL
Rev. Miniard Culpepper was handling $10, and educating the public about the virus.
RELATED: Communities of color hit hard by the pandemic face added trauma in return to school
“The mask cost money, the sanitizer cost money is what they need,” said Culpepper.
During the height of the pandemic, the COVID-19 Clergy Committee of Boston went around to red zone areas like Dorchester, Mattapan, Chelsea, and Roxbury educating people about the virus.
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“They didn’t understand that in order to find out if you’re asymptomatic, you have to be tested. I don’t think people were taking the necessary precaution with regard to masking, and sanitizing the hands,” said Culpepper.
.@HealthyBoston is working on making people feel confident in getting vaccinated.
— Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) January 20, 2021
-Focus groups are being held
-COVID-19 vaccine communications campaign/ billboards
-Vaccine speakers at bureaus where members will provide presentations@boston25
“Communities of color have been most greatly affected by this pandemic,” said officials from the Boston Public Health Commission.
According to the Commission, a recent focus group revealed the African American population in these communities is afraid to get vaccinated.
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“The majority of participants in this focus group are black, and stated they would not take or unsure,” said officials from the BPHC.
The Commission will now be sending the message across about getting vaccinated by “partnering with city agencies, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations.”
Convincing people to get vaccinated: @healthyboston will put real people, and faces out there about why everyone should get vaccinated. Basically, someone you can connect with and feel comfortable about getting vaccinated. @boston25
— Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) January 20, 2021
The plan going forward, Culpeper will be making a cell phone video like he did educating the public, especially people of color, that it’s okay to get the vaccine.
RELATED: Methuen, Lawrence, both communities of color, are among the first to get vaccinated, CDC says
He said many people in these communities are service workers who may not even have health insurance, but that’s why health centers like these are there to help.
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