ARTZ Board Chair contributes to the article “Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy, Injecting Trust…”

Lynn Fields-Harris’ contribution to this timely feature article in Value & Outcomes Spotlight highlights the impact of historic racism and inequities on the decision in communities of color to be or not to be vaccinated.

“I understand not so much fear of the vaccine and fear of COVID-19, but the distrust in government and the medical community, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic, laying bare the racism and inequity systematized in this country.” ~ Lynn Fields-Harris, MPA

“While nations struggle with manufacturing and supply chain logistics, the growing worldwide distrust in immunization and the rise of vaccine hesitancy may prove even more challenging. Governments, public health officials, and advocacy groups must be prepared to address vaccine hesitancy to ensure adoption of novel vaccines, achieve broad population immunity, and help us return to more normal lives. Unless the origins of such wide variation in willingness to accept a COVID-19 vaccine is better understood and addressed, differences in vaccine coverage between countries could potentially delay global control of the pandemic and the ensuing societal and economic recovery…”

Read more on page 19

For more information about Value & Outcomes Spotlight Magazine, please visit:https://www.ispor.org/publications/journals/value-outcomes-spotlight