Online panel looks to build vaccine trust
POTTSTOWN » A panel of local health experts and community leaders will host a virtual town hall Tuesday evening aimed at building trust in the coming COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said 70 to 75 percent of Americans will need to vaccinate to get the country on the road to normality.
Last month, Axios reported that “a Pew survey found that overall, 60 percent of respondents would definitely or probably take the vaccine if it were available today — up 9 points from 51 percent in September.”
More worrisome, in October the Kaiser Health Foundation found “just 17 percent of Black American adults say they definitely will get a Covid-19 vaccine if it were determined to be safe by scientists and it was free; 49 percent said they would not get it.”
Those numbers have improved since October, thankfully. “In November, a poll found that 70 percent overall (55 percent of Black respondents and 60 percent of Republicans) say they’d take the vaccine if public health officials say it’s safe and effective,” Axios reported.
And that is one reason for Tuesday’s virtual town hall, which features public health officials and community leaders.
The TriCounty Health
Council and Montgomery County Immunization Coalition will host the online meeting for “a conversation on building trust in vaccines and overcoming the obstacles faced by communities of color in accessing care. We want your voice to help steer the conversation,” according to a notice provided to MediaNews Group.
The panelists are:
• Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH: Chair, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners,
• Jonathan Corson: President, Pottstown NAACP Chapter#2288 in Pottstown,,
• Nelly Jimenez-ArevPanealo: Executive Director and CEO, ACLAMO Family Centers,
• Richard Lorraine, MD, FACP: Medical Director, Montgomery County Office of Public Health,
• Irene Shepherd, CPNP: Chief Medical Officer, Community Health & Dental
Care in Pottstown,
• Meghan Smith, MPH: Planning and Promotion Coordinator, Chester County Health Department,
• Stacey Woodland: CEO, YWCA Tri-County Area in Pottstown,
• John Harris (Moderator): Director, Veralon
Harris, who will be the moderator is a director with Veralon, a healthcare management consulting firm. He recently led Veralon’s efforts, along with the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania, to predict COVID-19 volume at Pennsylvania hospitals. Harris teaches strategic planning for the American College of Healthcare Executives.
For registration, event information, and resources, visit the town hall webpage: Virtual Town Hall: The Importance of Vaccines hosted by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation.