SACRAMENTO, Calif. — During the pandemic, Black and Latino communities have been hit the hardest by COVID-19 with the highest percentage of cases and deaths throughout California.

However, many people of color are still skeptical about receiving the vaccine.

Dr. David Cooke, the head of general thoracic surgery at UC Davis Health, has been advocating as a Black healthcare worker for members of his community to get the shot when it becomes available to them.

“It is not the responsibility of communities of color to trust healthcare, it’s the responsibility of the healthcare system to gain the trust of the communities of color,” Cooke said.

Cooke has been a surgeon at UC Davis Health for the past 12 years. When he saw that vaccine clinical trials were lacking in diversity across the county, he immediately wanted to lead by example by volunteering for Pfizer’s trial.

“I knew that a vaccine could be a game changer, and I really wanted all communities to benefit from that,” he said.

Born and raised in Oakland, Cooke knew there would be hesitation in the Black community on whether or not to receive the vaccine.

“There is historical mistrust of healthcare amongst communities of color, especially the African American community,” he said.

According to a recent Kaiser survey, 35% of African Americans said they will not get vaccinated. Cooke pointed out that he often hears Black community members argue that they do not want to be guinea pigs when it comes to getting the vaccine.

“Volunteers such as myself have already been the guinea pigs, and we’re the guinea pigs so our family members, our patients, or community don’t have to be the guinea pigs,” said Cooke.

He received his second dose in September and recently learned that he was given the Pfizer vaccine instead of a placebo. Since his involvement in the vaccine trial, Cooke has convinced his family, friends, and coworkers to take it as well.

"I‘ve had healthcare workers come to me and say, 'I’ve had misgivings about the vaccine, but now after hearing your story, I feel more comfortable getting the vaccine,'" said Cooke. "And they’ve been vaccinated as part of the first wave."

Ultimately, he said his goal is to educate people of color about the vaccine and provide a different perspective as a Black healthcare worker.

“It’s imperative for all of us to get back into some sense of normality and a vaccine can help us achieve that,” Cooke said.

He will continue to share his story and push for people in the Black community to be vaccinated, which, as he explained, is the best protection available against COVID-19.