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 public housing, 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.LinksYvette Calderon, MS, MD official bioCOVID-19 Vaccination Information and ResourcesJustine'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 DepartmentMount Sinai Office for Diversity and InclusionHigh School for Health Professions and Human Services (HPHS)Check out more episodes of Road to Resilience —as well as guest pictures, transcripts, and more— on the Mount Sinai website.If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org.Visit https://www.mountsinai.org/clinical-trials to see if you're eligible to enroll in a clinical trial with the Mount Sinai Health System. Check out more episodes of Road to Resilience—as well as guest pictures, transcripts, and more—on the Mount Sinai website.