While Black individuals are overrepresented in severe COVID-19 cases and deaths, in Fresno the Black population vaccination rate is the lowest across all race and ethnicity. Although COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for pregnant populations since the summer of 2021, effective messaging to pregnant persons was not prioritized adequately.
Considering that Black women and babies disproportionately experience preterm birth and Black babies are over 3 times more likely to die during their first year of life, it is essential to build COVID education campaign that prioritizes Black women.