Photo Credit: Ochsner Health
As supply of vaccine begins to exceed demand, Ochsner Health is making every possible effort to increase vaccine confidence and ensure doses are easily accessible to all residents. The New Orleans-based health system’s Innovation Health Podcast series provides in-depth discussions to address safety concerns among minority groups and specific patient populations.
In the podcast, “COVID Vaccines and the African-American Community,” Obinna Nnedu, M.D, an infectious disease specialist at Ochsner Medical Center, acknowledges the long-standing mistrust among the African-American community of the health care system and the federal government and its contribution to vaccine confidence. “One important thing is to understand the distrust, not to minimize it, not to downplay it … have a conversation with individuals,” Nnedu said. It’s important to respect people’s feelings and offer correct, accurate information to them about the vaccines, he added