The Trump administration’s vaccine czar Moncef Slaoui addressed minority skepticism of the coronavirus vaccine, saying “Nobody’s being used as a guinea pig.”

CNN’s Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul TapperProgressive groups push Biden to pick Black woman for solicitor general Hillicon Valley: Senate Intelligence Committee leaders warn of Chinese threats to national security | Biden says China must play by ‘international norms’ | House Democrats use Markup app for leadership contest voting Biden aide seeks to ease concerns about Cabinet diversity MORE asked Slaoui on Sunday to react to minority populations’ hesitation with the COVID-19 vaccine, noting that the U.S. “has an ugly, racist history when it comes to science and medicine and Black Americans.”

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“How specifically does Operation Warp Speed intend to address this skepticism, especially the disproportionate skepticism in the Black community?” Tapper asked on “State of the Union.”

“It’s a very important and saddening situation that’s been worrying us all the time,” Slaoui responded.

Operation Warp Speed’s chief adviser noted that his team has worked with health leadership to urge minority populations, specifically Black and Latinx Americans, to participate in the clinical trials for the vaccine.

“That will be very important to helping us convey to the minority population the safety and the efficacy of these vaccines,” he said. “Nobody’s being used as a guinea pig.”

Slaoui highlighted that the coronavirus has impacted Black and Hispanic communities two to four times more than white communities, saying “We have to stop that.”

“It’s really very, very important that people take the time to listen to the data, listen to the people they trust that have some expertise,” he said. “Please don’t make your opinion outside of having listened to the data and experts you trust.”

“When that happens I feel confident you will agree to be immunized, and that can help save your life,” he added. 

The U.S. is preparing to send out its first batches of the vaccines later this month upong emergency authorization being granted by the Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent panel recommends health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities be prioritized. 

Officials have noted that the hesitation among the Black community in particular could in part stems back to the Tuskegee experiment after a group of Black men with syphilis in an experiment were not told of their diagnosis for decades and denied treatment.