Riverside Health System and the Urban League of Hampton Roads held a joint Facebook/YouTube live virtual webinar last Thursday on the myths and facts of COVID-19 vaccines. Viewers had the opportunity to interact with the panel of experts to have their vaccine questions answered and concerns addressed.

Gil Bland, President and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, opened the webinar by relaying his own personal experience with COVID-19.

This past January, Bland was diagnosed with COVID-19. He was hospitalized for two months and almost died from the disease. “I was in the ICU for weeks,” said Bland. “I had double pneumonia and I was totally dependent on medical providers for any type of assistance.

“I share this tonight for but one reason,” he said. “The COVID virus is real. It’s killing folks daily and some of the deaths are unnecessary if only we were to adhere to medical advice and some of the opportunities and tools that are available to us, in particular the vaccinatio...