NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently wrote a guest column in the New York Times with the title “We Should Let Some NBA Players Jump the Vaccine Queue.”
His main reason? To raise awareness to certain communities about the importance of the vaccine.
The NBA players, he reasons, are in a particularly strong position of influence and power, and therefore have a unique opportunity to affect change. By jumping the vaccine queue, and showing the rest of the world that they’re taking the shot, they can hopefully influence the citizens who are skeptical about it.
“Health policy professionals suggest that public health campaigns using celebrities should focus on celebrities who are influential in particular communities in order to build trust,” Abdul-Jabbar writes in his article.
He particularly notes that since African-American communities are especially influenced by NBA players, they can truly benefit from seeing these athletes in power taking the vaccine.
This is significant because according to a CDC report, African Americans are 1.4 times more likely to contract the coronavirus. The report also states that they’re 3.7 times more likely to be taken to the hospital as a result.
With this data, and knowing the influence NBA players can have over these communities, Abdul-Jabbar reasons that if they jump the line, it can only save lives in the process.
