An empty sanctuary is not an unusual sight at the Rush Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Raleigh this Christmas season. The pandemic has forced them online since earlier this year.

Pastor Maurice Harden says the virtual services have allowed them to reach a larger audience than their traditional congregation. But, he admits, preaching to a camera is not quite the same as preaching to a full room.

“I do miss the connection that we had with persons being in person, being able to hug and touch,” he said.

New coronavirus vaccines are offering hope that a return to normal could be around the corner. But will people actually get the shot?

Harden says some of his parishioners tell him they want to wait.

“For them, they're okay with staying at home, they're OK with wearing their mask, washing their hands,” he said.

They are not necessarily alone in wanting to hold off.

About 27% of the public says they probably or definitely would not get a coronavirus vaccine, even if it were determined to be safe by scientists and made available for free, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation conducted from late November through early December.

Black adults are among the most hesitant when it comes to the vaccine. According to the survey, 35% say they definitely or probably will not get it. Some of that hesitancy is rooted in mistrust of vaccines and the health care system itself.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says it would be “horrific” if - with a vaccine available - racial disparities in health got worse because of mistrust.

To prevent that from happening, Adams says public health officials first must acknowledge the historic reasons for wariness in the Black community.

“The Tuskegee experiment happened during my lifetime, where treatment was denied to African American men of color who had syphilis. Henrietta Lacks had her cells taken without her permission and then experimented on,” he said.

Adams says they then must fight back against disinformation about the vaccine, and offer reassurances about how it was developed.

“The main person who worked on the Moderna vaccine is an African American female scientist,” he said. “We need to let people know the protections that are in place and the diversity that is now in place ... to make sure these things that happened in the past never happen again.”

At Rush Metropolitan Church, Pastor Harden says it is important to him that anything he tells his congregation helps them make informed decisions about their health. That includes offering reminders of safety precautions.

“A mask is not taking away your freedom. Just put it on. Washing your hands. Those are simple things, those are things we learned as children,” he said.

Black adults are not the only part of the population wary the vaccine.

According to the Kaiser survey, Republicans are the most hesitant group, with 42% saying they probably or definitely would not get the shot. People aged 30-49 are at 36%. And rural residents are at 35%.