Diversifying clinical trials and fighting disease requires equity and trust

The COVID-19 pandemic has left no person unaffected, but Black Americans have been disproportionately impacted. Black adults are nearly four times more likely to be hospitalized from the virus and nearly three times more likely to die from the virus than their white counterparts. At the same time, recent polls highlight COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within Black communities. In fact, only one in four Black Americans (24%) plan to get the vaccine compared to other racial and ethnic groups, and Black Americans are significantly trailing in vaccination rates.