Misconceptions and mistrust of COVID-19 vaccines among Black people

Globally, vaccination for any disease results in varying degrees of misconceptions among different socioeconomic strata, ethnic groups, and races. However, a focus on black people is crucial due to predominant societal concerns, such as white supremacy, racism, conspiracy beliefs, and inequality among others. This paper focuses on the misconception and mistrust of vaccines that is predominant among black people in the United States. After a concise review of the literature, the author(s) found that disinformation and inequality-driven mistrust are two primary factors surrounding vaccine acceptance among black people. These factors which lead to the erosion of trust in vaccines include critical media reports, vaccine recalls, social media stories/rumors, and new critical studies. Conclusively, the existing mistrust and misconception of vaccines among black people are speculated to continue by a few researches, especially in the face of the ongoing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus Disease COVID-19 pandemic. Bridging the mistrust gap, addressing racism, and framing the right message are recommendations for dealing with this issue among black people.