BlackDoctor.org (BDO), the leading health and wellness site for Black Americans has proven to be extremely successful in getting Blacks vaccinated. In a recent poll on the website, 70% of nearly 2500 respondents reported being “fully vaccinated” with another 3% reporting having had their “first shot” (Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots to be fully vaccinated). This is an unprecedented success in the fight against COVID-19 amid widespread misinformation about the vaccines and reports of hesitancy in the Black community.
The success BDO has had in fighting COVID has been built upon several pillars. First, the site has been the trusted source of health and wellness information for Blacks for over 15 years, boasting over 20 million reach each month on its website and FB platform. Second, BDO brought the top experts to Facebook Live events and allowed their audience to ask them questions directly. Finally, the site listened to their audience and brought local, trusted physicians to talk about the specifics of vaccine acceptance in their respective communities. BDO did not tell Blacks to get vaccinated. Instead, they provided the most accurate and culturally relevant information so they could make an informed decision.
A recent example of BDO’s successful endeavors is the Community Immunity Series. This was a ten-part Facebook Live series of programs that focused on specific states/regions that had low vaccination rates for Blacks (Alabama, Mississippi, NC/SC, etc.) or areas that had high Black populations (Chicago, DC, Detroit). In all, the programs reached nearly 750,000 people.
The success BDO has had in getting Black Americans vaccinated is remarkable. At the beginning of the pandemic, a poll on the site revealed that nearly 70% of their audience did not plan to get vaccinated. Now, fifteen months later, 70% are reporting being fully vaccinated, with nearly 60% of respondents reporting that BDO was “very helpful” in their decision to get vaccinated.
BDO is dedicated to eliminating healthcare disparities, providing accurate and culturally relevant information, and eliminating the life expectancy gap. Black Americans have a mortality rate more than double that of Whites when contracting COVID. Inasmuch it became paramount to get people the information they needed to keep themselves and their families safe. Partnerships with the Black Coalition Against COVID-19, the COVID-19 Resource Center on their site, articles and interviews with key healthcare professionals has helped BDO become the model of success in the fight against this deadly disease.
