The FDA is finally moving a proposed national ban on menthol flavored cigarettes and flavored cigars after more than a decade of inaction and a citizens petition lawsuit brought by the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council and Action on Smoking and Health, the American Medical Association, and the National Medical Association.
What’s clear is that the scientific community and community leaders must reach out and work hard to ensure that African Americans gain the confidence to get vaccinated. This won’t be easy. But with the leadership of Dr. Corbett and others, and with a new administration getting serious about providing the resources for mass vaccination and for outreach into the communities most impacted, lives can be saved.
Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, three vaccine trials have yielded promising results, and the first round of Americans could begin to receive shots as early as mid-December.
Last week, the California Department of Public Health announced that California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris will chair the state’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee. The group Burke-Harris leads will help guide the state’s decision making about vaccine distribution.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) is joining with the nation’s other three Black Medical Schools and numerous Black health professions associations in launching a campaign called “Love Letter to Black America, from America’s Black Doctors and Nurses.” This initiative is designed to begin a national conversation speaking directly to the African American community, particularly to address the challenges presented by COVID-19, and to enhance participation in vaccine clinical trials and vaccine acceptance.
As the nation prepares for yet another wave of COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers continue to discuss the possible vaccine and methods of dispersion. However, with the majority of cases still within the Black and Brown communities, the National Urban League set up a press call with Black medical experts to discuss what this will look like for the population.
Last Friday, during Gov. Gavin Newsom’s daily COVID-19 update to Californians, he announced that the state will begin “smart,” or “targeted” testing, for the disease. He announced the plan after health officials released data last week showing a sharp upturn in the numbers of infected people.
National action needed to stop tobacco companies from targeting vulnerable communities and help smokers quit
African American men of all ages experience higher mortality than men of other races and ethnicities and have significantly higher rates of malignancies such as prostate cancer (CDC Health, United States 2016 Report).