COVID-19 vaccine trials
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A group formed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease has created an ad campaign to urge Black and Latino people to get involved in COVID-19 vaccine trials.

Clinical trials to find a vaccine for coronavirus have struggled to get Black and Latino participation.

The ad campaign, which includes print ads and television commercials, was released early this week.

"This pandemic is not red. This pandemic is not blue. This pandemic is black, is brown, is white. It hits all colors and creeds. But even when things look bleak, we know that someone is full of hope and strength and wants to take action," one of the ads said.

The ad campaign features several people from different ethnicities. The commercials were developed by the COVID-19 Prevention Network, which was formed as a response to the pandemic.

The network helps in conducting phase three efficacy trials for COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.

Dr. Larry Corey, a virologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and head of the network, said it is crucial that COVID-19 vaccine trials include minority volunteers' participation.

Corey said the country and its global partners need vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 that are proven to be safe and effective for everyone. He added that these COVID-19 vaccine trials must be allowed to be conducted at the highest scientific standards and are inclusive of people who have been affected by the COVID-19.

Corey said he believes that the ad campaign is representing the most important voices in this fight that includes essential workers, food industry workers, and grandparents.

"All of whom are feeling the impact of the pandemic every day and want to help find an answer to this ongoing restriction in our schools, travel and everyday life," he said in a report.

Norbi Zylberberg, the founder of the advertising agency Socialisssima, said he hopes that the ads will give people a sense of hope. Zylberberg noted that the ads are acknowledging what is happening and giving people the choice to help.

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said at a coronavirus Senate panel Wednesday that the Black and Latino communities have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

With this, it is important to note what the vaccine will bring to these groups. Collins said it is without a doubt that there are also concerns in many of those communities, whether this is something they should trust.

A study released on COVID-19 clinical trials and research showed that African Americans are underrepresented, despite being largely impacted by the virus. Researchers said that under-recruitment is the primary problem.

Latinos and African Americans represent more than 18 percent and 13 percent of the population, respectively. However, they are only 11 percent and eight percent of the participants on drugmaker Pfizer's U.S. COVID-19 vaccine trial.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, expressed his concerns about the number of representations. He warned that the issue was about vaccine effectiveness as well as optics.

"We've got to get a higher percentage of minorities into the clinical trial so that when we get the data we can say that it applies equally," Fauci said in a report.

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