Tyler Perry has received both doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, hoping to help reluctant skeptics form their own opinion about the vaccination.
The multi-hyphen spoke to CBS this morning Tuesday and shared the details for his upcoming BET special, Covid-19 vaccine and the black community A Tyler Perry Special, premieres Thursday. In the special event for BET, the magus will discuss the virus and vaccination with experts, hoping to inform viewers about the dosages.
“I’m not taking this vaccine because I want you to take it, but I want to give you the information so you can make your own choices,” he told CBS’s Gayle King. “I think that’s what it’s about, education and information.”
Perry said during Tuesday’s interview that he understands where the mistrust and skepticism about the vaccine comes from, especially for the black community. He cited the Tuskegee experiment and Henrietta Lacks, adding that the history of such experiments makes ‘flags for us as African American people’.
He also revealed that he initially did not trust the vaccine, also given the previous administration, but decided to take the shots as soon as experts answered his questions. Although not everyone has as easy access to the answers about the Covid-19 vaccine as Perry, the Made it actor-director said that doubt is not worth skipping the vaccine.
“I think it’s just important for people to know that if you take your chances with Covid, you’ll never know how it’s going to affect you, and it could affect your health in the long run,” he said.
His special will be broadcast on BET on Thursday 28 January at 21:00 PT / ET. See the full CBS this morning maintenance above.