Amid vaccine trials, recruiting minority volunteers takes time

Black patients are some of the most reluctant to participate in clinical trials, according to FDA statistics. And their inclusion in the coronavirus vaccine trials has been a stated priority for the pharmaceutical companies involved, since African American communities, along with Latinos, have suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. But the trials are moving at a pace that is unprecedented for medical research, with the Trump administration’s vaccine acceleration effort dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.” Yet recruiting minority participants into these ongoing trials requires sensitivity to a legacy of mistrust based on past and current medical mistreatment, and that trust-building cannot be rushed.