Like others in her family, Mattie Pringle had doubts about taking the coronavirus vaccine. The 57-year-old Black woman from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, feared that her high blood pressure and diabetes might heighten her chances of a severe reaction to the shot.
The speedy development and approval of the vaccines also fed her skepticism. Then a member of Pringle's church, a local NAACP leader who has led a vaccination campaign targeting Black residents, urged her to reconsider.
He shared a news story about Kizzmekia Corbett, a Black government scientist who played a key role in developing the Moderna vaccine. “That’s what made me change my mind,” said Pringle, who finally agreed to an appointment to get her first coronavirus shot Thursday.