Lasting Impact of the Tuskegee Study : COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitation among African Americans

It is widely recognized that African Americans have a higher level of mistrust for the healthcare system, which results in insufficient utilization of public health services, a higher likelihood of non-participation in clinical research, and a growing refusal to be immunized. The Tuskegee Study is one of the most commonly cited underlying factors for African Americans’ mistrust of medical care. However, no study has examined the relationship between the Tuskegee Study and COVID-19 vaccination take-up among African Americans. Our research closes this gap. The findings show that although the disparity in COVID-19 vaccination rates between white and black communities still exists, it is getting smaller over time. Counties closer to Tuskegee experience a slower closing of the racial gap in COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting that the mistrust associated with the Tuskegee Study widens racial gaps in COVID-19 vaccination rates between African Americans and the rest of America