Houston area launches ads to ease vaccine fears

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo unveiled a new COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaign Thursday that aims to ease fears about getting the shots.

Called "Stay smart, do your part," it will be targeted across the diverse communities in Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States.

Hidalgo, citing early county numbers said a disproportionately high percent of white and Asian residents have received coronavirus vaccines while a disproportionately low number of Black and Hispanic residents, because the early doses were allocated to frontline and health care workers.

Hidalgo added the demographics of that first dose priority group skewed that way and was not evidence of bias.

The county judge emphasized some of Houston's Black and Hispanic residents are saying they'll avoid getting the vaccine.

"Something that's beginning to become evident is that the same communities that are hardest hit by the virus, are the communities that are most hesitant to receive the vaccine," Hidalgo said.

While doses remain relatively scare, the county judge said the campaign is designed to make sure the public is educated about the various vaccines when "supplies meet demand."

(Image Credit: AP)