New campaign by Black healthcare workers for Black community about vaccine

OAKLAND, Calif. - Black doctors, nurses, researchers and comedian W. Kamau Bell kicked off a new campaign on Thursday in the hopes of providing Black communities with credible information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Titled "THE CONVERSATION: Between Us, About Us," the campaign was co-developed by Kaiser Family Foundation and the Black Coalition Against COVID. 

In the video, healthcare professionals set out to dispel misinformation and provide accessible facts in 50 FAQ videos that deliver the information Black people are asking for about the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Dr. Rhea Boyd, who works at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, told KTVU on Thursday that despite the serious nature of the issue, she also hopes that there is also some levity in the videos, which will spur conversations in living rooms across America. 

The No. 1 she said she's heard is: Are vaccines safe?

"We are confident in saying the vaccines are safe," Boyd said.

And she added that the vaccine approval occurred so fast because it "had to happen so quickly," as people have been shuttered indoors for nearly a year. She stressed that there have been no safety steps avoided in any of the scientific protocols. 

Despite having one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the U.S., Black Americans are among those least likely to get the vaccines, according to the Black Coalition Against COVID. 

"We’re seeing more Black adults want to get vaccinated when their time comes, but still a sizeable percent say they are waiting to see others vaccinated first," said Drew Altman, president of KFF.

Boyd said she was able to change minds about getting vaccinated in her own family, including her grandmother, aunt and parents.

"All had questions that needed to be answered," she said. 

KTVU's Gasia Mikaelian contributed to this report.