CNBC: Black health leaders try to build trust in the COVID-19 vaccine among African Americans
Louito Edje, MD, wants to inspire confidence in COVID-19 vaccine
African-American health professionals and community health groups across the country have already begun to do outreach in Black communities hit hard by the coronavirus.
Seven out of 10 African Americans know someone who’s been hospitalized or died from COVID-19, according to a Pew Research poll conducted last month. Yet vaccine skepticism runs high. Only 42% of Blacks surveyed say they plan to be vaccinated, compared with more than 60% for Americans overall.
The vaccine is almost here, but we can't get to a new normal if people don't take the shot. According to a Pew survey, only about 60% of Americans say they'll get the vaccine. However, only 42% of black adults say they'll get it.
— The News with Shepard Smith (@thenewsoncnbc) December 11, 2020
CNBC's @berthacoombs has the story. pic.twitter.com/WvdTOyUPIg
Louito Edje, MD, associate dean of graduate medical education at the UC College of Medicine and UC Medical Center, enrolled in the Phase 3 clinical trial for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after three of her relatives died from the coronavirus. UC is one of approximately 90 sites in the country to host a trial for the mRNA-1273 vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases scientists and collaborators at biotechnology company Moderna.
Edje holds a master's of health professions education and is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She wanted to set an example and inspire confidence in her patients to get vaccinated. Edje shared her story with CNBC as part of a segment including interviews from health professionals across the country and community groups promoting vaccination against COVID-19. “I felt that I might be able to have an impact that has some credibility, for the patients that I take care of every day who look just like me,” Edje told CNBC.
Learn more about Dr. Edje online.
Featured image with Louito Edje, MD, in front of the UC College of Medicine by Colleen Kelley/University of Cincinnati.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's medical, graduate and undergraduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC Online Business Partnership Program attracts regional partners
November 11, 2026
UC Online’s Business Partnership Program helps employees at 50 regional companies access discounted tuition across more than 130 online programs. The program was recently featured in the Cincinnati Business Courier. Designed to support career advancement and workforce retention, the program makes higher education more affordable for working professionals while helping employers invest in employee growth and engagement.
UC professor warns against rising nicotine pouch use
November 10, 2026
Ashley Merianos, PhD, professor in the UC School of Human Services, spoke with Local 12 News in Cincinnati about her latest research showing a sharp increase in nicotine pouch use among adult tobacco users from 2021 to 2024.
Nurse practitioners are shaping the future of health care
November 10, 2026
From diagnosing illnesses and managing chronic conditions to advancing health policy and improving access to care, nurse practitioners play an increasingly important role in the nation's health care system. This week, Nov. 8–14, we celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week and the more than 461,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the United States who provide high-quality, patient-centered care to millions of Americans — including the University of Cincinnati nurses who are stepping into the role right now.