COVID Vaccine Trials Seek Black, Latinx Participants But History of Medical Apartheid Sows Mistrust

Democracy Now!

10 Sept 202012:11

Summary

TLDRIn this Democracy Now segment, Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh discuss President Donald Trump’s acknowledgment of downplaying COVID-19 despite knowing its severity early on. The segment also highlights journalist Bob Woodward’s revelations about Trump's private statements. As COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities, concerns are raised about the mistrust of the medical system, influenced by historical events like the Tuskegee syphilis experiments. Medical ethicist Harriet Washington discusses ongoing skepticism toward vaccines, historical medical abuse of marginalized groups, and the underrepresentation of these communities in current vaccine trials.

Takeaways

😷 President Trump admitted to downplaying the coronavirus pandemic to avoid causing panic, even though he was aware of its severity early on.
📅 Trump knew by February 7th that COVID-19 was airborne and deadlier than the flu but did not declare a national emergency until March 13th.
🦠 As of the report, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 had reached 190,000, and vaccine trials were struggling with participation from Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities.
💉 Operation Warp Speed, aimed at fast-tracking a vaccine, faced skepticism from communities of color due to mistrust of the healthcare system, influenced by historical abuses.
🔬 The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, one of the most notorious cases of medical exploitation of African Americans, involved withholding treatment from Black men for decades.
🧪 Despite penicillin being a known treatment for syphilis by 1945, subjects in the Tuskegee experiment were left untreated until the study was exposed and halted in 1972.
📚 Harriet Washington, author of 'Medical Apartheid,' discusses how historical and ongoing unethical medical experimentation on Black Americans has fostered mistrust in healthcare.
🧠 Medical abuses like those documented in 'Medical Apartheid' included experiments on enslaved people, disfiguring procedures, and the use of Black bodies for dissection after death.
🌍 Vaccine trials, both in the U.S. and globally, have faced similar ethical concerns, particularly in developing nations, contributing to hesitancy among marginalized groups.
🧑‍⚕️ Dr. Anthony Fauci has called for more significant participation of Black and Latinx people in vaccine trials, noting that current levels are far below the recommended targets.

Q & A

What did President Donald Trump admit regarding the COVID-19 pandemic during the early stages?
-Trump admitted that he downplayed the threat of COVID-19 in public, despite being briefed on the severity of the pandemic in early February. He explained that he did so to avoid creating panic.
What did Trump tell Bob Woodward in a February 7 phone call about COVID-19?
-Trump told Bob Woodward that the virus was airborne, highly contagious, and more deadly than the flu, with a mortality rate of 5%, compared to the flu’s rate of less than 1%.
When did the White House declare a national emergency for COVID-19, and why is the delay significant?
-The White House declared a national emergency on March 13, over a month after Trump was briefed on the seriousness of the virus. The delay is significant because it suggests that action could have been taken earlier to mitigate the pandemic’s impact.
What challenges has Trump's Operation Warp Speed faced in terms of vaccine trials?
-Operation Warp Speed has faced challenges due to a lack of participation in vaccine trials from African American, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, many of whom distrust the healthcare system.
Why do many African American and Indigenous communities mistrust the healthcare system, according to the NIH report?
-The mistrust stems from a historical legacy of mistreatment by the medical profession, such as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, where African American men were deliberately left untreated for syphilis for decades.
What was the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, and why is it infamous?
-The Tuskegee experiment, started in 1932, involved 400 African American men with syphilis who were left untreated to study the disease’s progression, even though penicillin was identified as a reliable treatment in 1945. The experiment continued until a whistleblower exposed it in 1972.
How did the Tuskegee experiment contribute to distrust in the healthcare system among African Americans?
-The Tuskegee experiment reinforced the idea that the healthcare system could exploit and deceive African Americans, as the men were misled into believing they were receiving treatment, when in fact, they were given placebos and not properly treated.
What are some examples of medical experimentation on African Americans mentioned by Harriet Washington?
-Examples include boiling water being poured on the backs of slaves, amputation demonstrations on enslaved individuals, experimental reproductive surgeries, vaccine testing on slaves, and using African American bodies for medical dissection and experimentation post-mortem.
Why is there a lack of representation of African Americans and Latinx people in current vaccine trials?
-The lack of representation is due in part to historical abuses in medical research, which have led to deep mistrust in the medical system. Additionally, ongoing discrimination in healthcare contributes to the reluctance to participate.
What participation rates are recommended by Dr. Fauci for Latinx and Black communities in COVID-19 vaccine trials, and how do current participation rates compare?
-Dr. Fauci recommends that Latinx participation be at 37% and Black participation at 27%. However, current participation rates are much lower, with Moderna having 16% Latinx and 10% Black participants, while Pfizer has 11% Latinx and 8% Black participants.

Outlines

00:00

📰 Trump Admits to Downplaying COVID-19 Risk

In the opening paragraph, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he publicly downplayed the coronavirus threat despite knowing its seriousness as early as February. Trump responded to a question about whether he misled the public to reduce panic, stating that he didn’t want to create fear and wanted to act as a 'cheerleader' for the country. This admission came shortly after excerpts from journalist Bob Woodward’s book 'Rage' were released, revealing that Trump had a conversation with Woodward in February in which he described the airborne nature and lethality of the virus. Despite this knowledge, the White House did not declare a national emergency until March 13th.

05:02

💉 Vaccine Trials Hampered by Mistrust in Minority Communities

This section discusses the struggle to recruit African American, Indigenous, and Latinx participants for vaccine trials under Trump’s 'Operation Warp Speed.' Mistrust in the healthcare system, exacerbated by historical medical abuses like the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, has made these communities hesitant to participate, despite being disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has attempted to combat this hesitancy by launching TV commercials targeting these groups. The Tuskegee experiment, where African American men with syphilis were purposefully left untreated for decades despite available treatment, remains a powerful example of medical exploitation that fuels mistrust.

10:04

🧪 The Deception Behind the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

This paragraph recounts the details of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, highlighting the deceit and unethical practices employed by the U.S. Public Health Service. The experiment misled African American men into thinking they were receiving treatment for 'bad blood,' when in reality, they were given placebos. Despite the availability of penicillin as a treatment for syphilis, these men were denied proper care, resulting in severe health deterioration. The experiment continued for 40 years until a whistleblower brought it to light in 1972. It remains the longest and one of the most notorious cases of medical abuse in Western history.

📚 Centuries of Medical Exploitation Beyond Tuskegee

Harriet Washington, a medical ethicist, provides historical context, stating that the Tuskegee experiment is only one example of centuries of medical exploitation of African Americans. Her book 'Medical Apartheid' details various unethical medical practices, such as performing surgeries on slaves without anesthesia and using their bodies for dissection after death. This legacy of medical racism has persisted, and recent unethical vaccine experiments, especially in the developing world, continue to foster distrust in the medical system. The exploitation of black bodies for medical experimentation was not limited to the past but is a continuing issue.

📖 Widespread Mistrust and the Role of Medical History

Washington explains that the history of medical abuse in African American communities is not widely taught in academic circles but is well known within black communities due to a strong oral tradition. While most people were unaware of the detailed accounts found in medical journals, African Americans have long been aware of medical abuses that their families endured. Washington’s 'Medical Apartheid' was one of the first works to document this history in detail. She also notes that contemporary discrimination in healthcare, combined with knowledge of past abuses, contributes to the reluctance of African Americans and Latinx communities to participate in vaccine trials.

💉 Current Vaccine Trials and Participation Disparities

Dr. Anthony Fauci's comments on the current COVID-19 vaccine trials reveal significant disparities in participation rates among minority groups. Moderna’s trials have 16% Latinx and 10% Black participation, while Pfizer's trials show only 11% Latinx and 8% Black participation. Fauci recommends much higher levels of participation: 37% for Latinx and 27% for Black communities. The segment closes with a mention of Washington's continued analysis of vaccine trials, particularly unethical experiments in places like Nigeria, and how this continues to affect global trust in medical systems.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Coronavirus

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is a viral disease that triggered a global pandemic starting in 2019. In the script, the virus is central to the discussion as President Trump downplayed its severity early on, despite knowing its dangers, including its airborne transmission and high mortality rate. The pandemic's impact on public health and vaccine development is a key theme of the video.

💡Downplaying

Downplaying refers to the act of deliberately minimizing or underrepresenting the seriousness of a situation. In the video, President Trump acknowledges downplaying the severity of COVID-19 to avoid creating panic, despite receiving briefings about the seriousness of the virus in February 2020. This downplaying is a crucial point of controversy highlighted in the transcript.

💡Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment was an unethical study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service between 1932 and 1972, in which African American men with syphilis were misled into thinking they were receiving treatment, when in fact, they were not. The video discusses how this historical atrocity contributes to the mistrust of the healthcare system by African American and minority communities, affecting their participation in COVID-19 vaccine trials.

💡Operation Warp Speed

Operation Warp Speed was a U.S. government initiative aimed at accelerating the development, production, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines before the 2020 election. In the video, concerns are raised that this rush may be slowed due to a lack of participation in vaccine trials by marginalized communities, particularly African American, Indigenous, and Latinx groups.

💡Medical Apartheid

Medical Apartheid is a book written by Harriet Washington, which explores the history of medical experimentation on African Americans from colonial times to the present. The video features an interview with Washington, who discusses the legacy of medical racism, connecting historical abuses like the Tuskegee Experiment to contemporary issues such as mistrust in vaccine trials and broader systemic discrimination.

💡Mistrust in Healthcare

Mistrust in healthcare refers to the skepticism and lack of faith in medical institutions, particularly among African American, Indigenous, and Latinx communities. The video ties this mistrust to historical medical abuses, such as the Tuskegee Experiment, and discusses how it affects vaccine trial participation in the COVID-19 era. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is attempting to address this mistrust through targeted outreach efforts.

💡Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward is an investigative journalist who published excerpts from his book 'Rage,' revealing taped conversations with President Trump. In these conversations, Trump acknowledged the deadly nature of COVID-19 as early as February 2020 but continued to publicly downplay it. Woodward's revelations are a central piece of evidence in the video, highlighting the gap between Trump’s private knowledge and public messaging.

💡Vaccine Trials

Vaccine trials are scientific studies conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vaccines. In the video, there is a focus on the lack of participation by minority communities in COVID-19 vaccine trials, partly due to historical mistrust stemming from events like the Tuskegee Experiment. Dr. Anthony Fauci highlights the need for greater representation of Latinx and African American participants in these trials to ensure broad efficacy.

💡Historical Legacy of Mistreatment

This concept refers to the long history of exploitation and unethical treatment of African Americans and other marginalized groups by the medical profession. The video explains that this legacy, including events like the Tuskegee Experiment and other forms of medical abuse, has contributed to the current mistrust in the healthcare system, affecting communities' willingness to participate in critical health interventions like vaccine trials.

💡Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key figure in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the video, Fauci emphasizes the need for higher participation of Latinx and African American communities in COVID-19 vaccine trials to ensure that the vaccine works across different populations, as these groups are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Highlights

President Donald Trump acknowledged that he downplayed the threat of COVID-19 to avoid creating panic, despite early briefings on the severity of the pandemic.

In a February 7th phone call, Trump admitted to journalist Bob Woodward that COVID-19 is more deadly than the flu and spreads through the air, yet no national emergency was declared until March 13th.

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 reached 190,000 by September, coinciding with Trump's push to release a vaccine before the November election under 'Operation Warp Speed.'

Participation in COVID-19 vaccine trials is low among African American, Indigenous, and Latinx communities due to mistrust of the healthcare system, rooted in historical abuses like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.

The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, which ran from 1932 to 1972, involved African American men being misled into thinking they were receiving treatment for syphilis, when in fact they were given placebos.

Even after penicillin was identified as a treatment in 1945, the men in the Tuskegee Experiment were deliberately left untreated, leading to prolonged suffering and death.

The Tuskegee Experiment is one of many documented abuses against African Americans in medical history, but the broader history of medical experimentation on Black people was largely ignored until the publication of 'Medical Apartheid.'

Medical ethicist Harriet Washington highlights other unethical experiments, such as boiling water being poured on enslaved people to treat typhoid, and amputations performed solely for medical students’ practice.

Dr. James Marion Sims, considered the 'father of modern gynecology,' conducted reproductive surgeries on enslaved women without anesthesia, part of a long history of using Black bodies for medical experimentation.

Northern medical schools had contracts with southern medical institutions to use the bodies of deceased Black people for dissection and medical training, illustrating 'post-mortem racism.'

Washington argues that recent vaccine experiments and medical procedures in the developing world have also been exploitative, fueling skepticism among African Americans toward modern medical practices.

Many African Americans retain knowledge of historical medical abuses through a rich oral tradition, even though these events were largely ignored in mainstream medical history until 'Medical Apartheid.'

Dr. Fauci has recommended 37% Latinx and 27% Black participation in COVID-19 vaccine trials, but current enrollment falls far short, with Moderna showing only 10% Black and 16% Latinx participation.

The NIH launched a series of TV commercials targeting Black and Latinx communities to encourage participation in COVID-19 vaccine trials, as these groups are disproportionately impacted by the virus.

Harriet Washington highlights the importance of addressing both historical and current discrimination in the medical field, as both factors contribute to mistrust among marginalized communities.