More minorities needed for vaccine trials

More minorities needed for vaccine trials

Our website waay-tv-dot-com.

New information -- coronavirus vaccine trials are underway across the country and here in north alabama to get one on the market as soon as possible.

But -- this process could see delays since researchers haven't recruited sufficient numbers of minorities to join the clinical trials!

Waay31's megan reyna is live in huntsville after speaking to a local doctor about why this is so important.

Megan.... of the 350,000 people who have registered online for a coronavirus clinical trial - 10 percent are black or latino.

However --research shows black and latino people represent more than half of the coronavirus cases in the united states.

And here in alabama -- we are seeing similar numbers right now african americans make up almost 27 percent of all coronavirus cases and 41 percent of all coronavirus deaths.

African americans make up around 27 percent of the population in alabama.

Meanwhile - latinos make up 4.6 percent of the population.

But 6.3 percent of all coronavirus cases and 3 percent of deaths.

Today i talked to doctor nauman qureshi with athens limestone hospital.

He said if not enough black people and latinos enroll... it could delay the trials until they get the numbers they need.

We need representative of all ages, of all sexes, we need representation of all the demographics, latino, african american , white."

Instead of just 10 percent of representation in both the black and latino community -- qureshi says he'd like to see 40 percent.

He points out the last vaccine took four years to be approved and distributed.

But researchers are trying to expedite this entire process.

So it's vital they do a better job of recruiting in order to create a safe and effective vaccine reporting live in hsv mr