Houston-area pastor interviews Dr. Fauci to ease concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccine in the Black community

HUMBLE - A Houston area pastor is interviewing Dr. Anthony Fauci to get answers about the COVID-19 Vaccine. It's an effort to clear up confusion as some in the Black Community are reluctant to take the vaccine. 

Even as there is distrust of the COVID-19 Vaccine and frankly of some government leaders in certain communities, most have great trust in the country’s top doctor Anthony Fauci. So that’s where a pastor in Humble went to get answers for his congregation.

"What people need to understand is the entire process was transparent and independent," Dr. Fauci told the pastor. 

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In the virtual interview with the country’s Infectious Disease Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci reassured Pastor of Humble’s The Luke Church, Dr. Timothy Sloan, that getting the COVID-19 Vaccine is safe and "almost 100% effective." 

"When you develop a vaccine you give the body a component of the virus that doesn’t make them sick, doesn’t get them infected, but it tricks the body into thinking that you’ve been infected. So the body mounts a really good immune response," says Fauci. 

Although some in the African American community have doubts about getting it, "Looking at the vaccine, the first thing that comes to mind is the Tuskegee Experiment," says Pastor Sloan.

"The slights and the mistreatment of the African American community historically by the government medical establishment is real in history. We have to recognize it occurred. Safeguards have been put in place that this could never happen again," Dr. Fauci explained.

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Dr. Sloan says he and his wife, who’s a physician, had a lot of questions regarding the vaccine.

"We had both been wrestling with whether or not to take the actual vaccine." 

Many in his congregation did the same. So Dr. Sloan asked himself, "Why don’t I just write a letter to Dr. Fauci? My grandmother told me the worst somebody can say is no," but Dr. Fauci didn’t say no. 

He spoke with the pastor for 17 minutes about how career scientists researched and approved the vaccine.

"The examination of the data and this is really interesting that people need to understand. The examination was made by a completely independent body who was not beholden to the federal government and was not beholden to the company," says Dr. Fauci. 

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"I thought it was a perfect match in having the trusted voice of Dr. Fauci and the Black church as a vehicle to inform and hopefully raise some confidence in the African American community," says Dr. Sloan.