Though many people are desperate for the vaccine, many others are still hesitant - especially in the African-American and Latinx communities. So, the mayor of San Francisco took a big shot Tuesday to try and change that.
Mayor London Breed received her single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine at the Maxine Hall Health Center, hoping people will think, “well, if she can do it, so can I.”
“I’m excited to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it’s one and done,” she said. “But also because the people who are sometimes hardest to reach, there will be challenges getting them to come back to get a second appointment. So I want people to know that it’s safe.”
But for Sheryl Davis, rolling up her sleeve wasn’t as easy.
“Oh yeah, up until they sat me in the chair, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to do it,” said the San Francisco resident. “Part of it is the pain, but part of it is again this history of being experimented on.”
She’s referring to the historical mistreatment of minorities during vaccine development and testing – making many people in Black and Latinx communities hesitant to trust vaccines.
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Davis says other worries include side effects, how quickly the vaccine was developed, and questions about efficacy.
But on Tuesday, someone seemed to give her the confidence she needed.
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“To be honest, I will say that I wouldn’t probably have come today if the mayor wasn’t here getting the vaccine,” she David. “And that was the reason I came out. I’ve had access before because of my work and I just have not done it, but I thought if she’s doing it, then I can do it, and I know that can go a long way with other community members as well.”
Davis says she’s not a big fan of shots, but she feels okay. And other community members who live in this 94115 ZIP code can drop into this health center for their vaccine, no appointment necessary, as long as they’re over the age of 65.
