“The Vaccine Is Safe” – Pastor & Microbiologist Works To Ease Vaccine Fears

An Alabama pastor and professor of microbiology is encouraging his congregation and community to get the COVID-19 vaccine. WLTZ's Katie Kamin reports.

(NBC News) — An Alabama pastor and professor of microbiology is encouraging his congregation and community to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Frederick James says he has heard about the hesitations some people in his community have about the vaccine.

James is both a professor of Microbiology at Southern Union State Community College, having extensively studied virology, as well as pastor of a Chambers County church.

“I want to tell you with my background, having a background in science and also as a pastor, I firmly believe the vaccine is safe for multiple reasons,” James says.

He says the form of the vaccine makes a difference. This is an mRNA vaccine, which means it doesn’t use the live virus that causes COVID-19.

Another concern James has heard relates to the Tuskegee Experiment, a study where hundreds of black men were deliberately not given medical treatment as part of a study to see what syphilis would do to their bodies.

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