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Does the COVID vaccine research reflect the needs of communities of color?

Health care workers answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD explains the COVID vaccine research process and how communities of color were included.

 

The NIH set up five different panels of scientists based on they have an African American, they have a Latinx, they have one that deals with geriatric patients, and the Veterans Administration patients and then other Indigenous groups.

And they set that up so that we would be able to see the phase one and the phase two data that led to the phase three trial. And also in developing the phase three trial we got to see the consent forms, we got to see all of the information that informed the science, but also would be shared to the volunteers.

Would they have this information in a platform or in a culturally linguistically manner, that they would be able to understand it? And not just about the effectiveness of the vaccine, but the safety. And so, I participated in multiple zoom call meetings, looking at that data for the vaccine candidates which was really important to my comfort level.

This information is shared for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at time of filming. Always consult a health care provider for any personal health decisions. Click here for vaccine FAQs from the CDC.

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