Recent polls show there is a political and religious divide in the desire to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But why? In this final episode of the series, we hear from some folks who can help answer that question, as well as providing further facts and nuance to the conversation. Pastor Jared Cornutt of Irving, TX, breaks down some of the theological arguments for getting vaccinated; then, host Robin Roberts sits down with Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. A...

Historic and ongoing healthcare disparities -- along with vaccine misinformation -- contribute to a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy in the Hispanic community. In this episode, special guest host and award-winning journalist María Elena Salinas explores some of the causes and solutions for vaccine hesitancy among Hispanic Americans. She sits down with Travis Escobar, a Hispanic millennial who had to use patience and compassion to convince his mother to get vaccinated. Then, she speaks with...

Making healthcare decisions for yourself -- or the people in your care -- are some of the most important choices you will ever make. It's understandable to have questions about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Community healthcare navigators are there to help ease vaccine-related concerns, and bridge the gap of trust between their communities and the healthcare providers that serve them. These navigators can be a local nurse or pharmacist, or even just a faith leader or friendly...

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unique challenges for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander -- or AANHPI -- community. AANHPI folks are the most likely ethnic group to live in multigenerational households, which must carefully balance lifestyle needs and COVID-19 safety. Statistics also indicate a greater prevalence of racist hate crimes against Asian Americans in the midst of the pandemic. This episode, we hear from a Vietnamese-American who quarantined with her 90-year-old...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, confusion and misinformation surfaced online about the virus and the vaccines, leaving the American people unsure of what to trust. In this episode, we hear from two sisters who were influenced by a viral video that promoted wildly false conspiracy theories which made them second guess the vaccines. Then, host Robin Roberts chats with Dr. Anthony Fauci from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). At the intersection of what feels...

In December, we saw the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines authorized for emergency use in an unprecedented timeline. Following close behind was the single-dose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine. Unfortunately, language like “unprecedented timeline” has some Americans concerned about cutting corners to produce these vaccines in record time. In this episode, we chat with Jay Greene, a journalist initially skeptical of the vaccine development speed, who, after learning the truth, came around to...

The development of COVID-19 vaccines, questions about mRNA technology, equitable distribution, and uncertainty about the long-term effects aren't the only factors fueling vaccine hesitancy amongst African Americans: a history of harmful studies, medical malpractice, and health care inequities continues to impact the community today. In this first episode of Covid-19 Immunity In Our Community, host Robin Roberts chats with Sandra Lindsay, the first American and first Black American to receive...

With unparalleled speed and success amid a global pandemic, multiple vaccines are here to protect us from COVID-19. But as the vaccines roll out, difficulties far older than the virus continue to hold up the movement to vaccinate America, including geographic, economic, and racial inequities in health care -- and now: the widespread misinformation surrounding the vaccines themselves. In COVID-19: Immunity in Our Community -- a new podcast series from the U.S. Department of Health and Human...