A Shot in the Arm

Yvette Calderon, MD, MS, understands why vaccine hesitancy remains stubbornly high in communities of color. Growing up in New York City’s projects, she heard stories of forced sterilization in Puerto Rico and saw the medical system put other families first. Now Dr. Calderon finds herself on the flip side of the coin, trying to persuade reluctant colleagues and community members to take the COVID-19 vaccines. With the United States passing 500,000 pandemic deaths, including her father, Dr. Calderon argues that the vaccines are key to our resilience and shares advice for meeting hesitancy with compassion, enthusiasm, and science. Dr. Calderon is Chair of Emergency Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel.

Also in this episode: Justine Sarkodie, 17, talks about how COVID-19 transformed her West Bronx community and what she's learned about neighbors' attitudes toward the vaccines. Ms. Sarkodie is a senior at the High School for Health Professions and Human Services.

Links

• Yvette Calderon, MS, MD official bio
• COVID-19 Vaccination Information and Resources
• Justine's survey on vaccination hesitancy (for New York City residents)
• Road to Resilience listener survey
• "COVID Vaccination in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Individuals" (Dr. Calderon refers to this YouTube video)
• Mount Sinai Beth Israel Emergency Department
• Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion
• High School for Health Professions and Human Services (HPHS)