The Columbus Dispatch: History of Medical Mistrust, Deceit Leads Some Black People to Question COVID Vaccine

Kaiser Permanente registered nurse Corie Robinson administers the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to DC Fire and EMS Lieutenant Keishea Jackson during a vaccine event at Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill December 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. (POOL)

For Dr. Rishan Desta, getting the COVID-19 vaccine was about more than just protecting herself as she battles the virus on the front lines of the pandemic. It's about setting an example for people who look like her.

Desta, a Black woman, is a resident emergency department physician at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. Although Desta was one of the first people in line to get the vaccine, many in the Black community may prove to be more hesitant because of a history of mistrust and deceit…