Fear, Facts, Future: The COVID-19 Vaccine Explained Live from Tuskegee

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Despite three COVID-19 vaccines readily available, many people are still skeptical about getting them.

WSFA 12 News, in an effort to help get your questions answered, teamed up with health experts and community leaders to bring you a live town hall Thursday.

When it comes to the COVID-19 vaccine, some wonder if it will make them sick, and some have questions about the cost. Past medical studies like the one that happened in Tuskegee in 1932 make many especially fearful in the African American population.

In the video below, Anchor Valorie Lawson shows why some African Americans are not eager to get vaccinated, even if they know, it could save their lives and the people they love.

In 1932, the government studied the effect of syphilis on poor Black Tuskegee men. While the participants were promised free health care, they never received treatment for the excruciating symptoms of syphilis.

Health experts say vaccine hesitancy is common, but they say being hesitant could seriously affect your health and your loved ones’ health.

“Fear, Facts, Future - The COVID-19 Vaccine Explained” aired live from Tuskegee and involved an hourlong town hall dedicated to discussing misconceptions, as well as the science behind the vaccines.

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