BOSTON — Cities such as Methuen and neighboring Lawrence, which have a high concentration of immigrants and people of color, are among the first communities that will be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.
Boston 25 spoke to people as they were lined up waiting in their cars to get tested for the virus. Many of them shared the same sentiment, saying, “I can’t wait to get vaccinated.”
Hanife Sevincgil, 79, got tested for the novel coronavirus after her grandson says she may have been exposed to the virus.
Ayhan Day, who lives in Lawrence, was also getting tested on Wednesday.
“Stay away from people and don’t get anyone else sick,” said Day. “I’m getting tested for myself, but I live with grandmother. I don’t want to get her sick.”
The City of Lawrence, like many other Massachusetts minority communities, has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Many minority communities across the country are getting hit the hardest by the pandemic.
— Malini Basu (@MaliniBasu_) December 10, 2020
Tonight, we are in Methuen, neighboring Lawrence.
These are 2communities expected to be among the first to get the 💉.
The sentiment here, “I’ll wait to get the vaccine.”@boston25 pic.twitter.com/NRI7EDw2Os
“Communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We particularly focused on including voices from those communities in our planning discussions.”
As much as people want to get the vaccine, many say they want to wait until they are sure it’s safe to do so.
“I’m going to wait it out and see once my friends [and] people I know take it,” said Day.
“I do see why there is worry and fear within the community, especially when belted out so early and quickly,” said Shakira Asuncion, a college student.
The COVID-19 numbers in Methuen doubled from last week.
Methuen’s Mayor Neil Perry now wants all students to get tested on Thursday and Friday.
Perry even made the public announcement on Methuen’s community television, and urged residents to get vaccinated once it’s available.
“People look at it like new models of different vehicles, they want to see what happens before they test the waters if you will,” said Perry. “The message with the three former presidents volunteering to take the vaccine is a great one.”
Many people are reluctant to take the vaccine once it’s available to them, but once they know its safe they will make sure to get it. A few weeks ago, Boston 25 spoke to two minorities from the volunteer vaccination trial at Moderna and Pfizer. They reassured everyone they felt fine after getting vaccinated and continue to.
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