Racial disparity and Inequity Rolled Out with Vaccination Effort
We can all accept the widely understood fact that the Coronavirus disproportionately impacted communities of color, low-income communities, and other vulnerable populations such as the elderly. Although the research and understanding of how the impact, we are moving on to a new issue: vaccination.
When the vaccines were going through final testing stages in the FDA, the CDC was hard at work putting together vaccination guidelines based on priority groups. Nationally, the CDC recommendation is to vaccinate front-line workers, specifically starting with hospital staff, then service workers, then pharmacists, etc. Citizens are in the second wave, focusing on the most vulnerable populations first and moving to healthier and typically younger groups by the Spring and into the Summer. That was the initial plan, or at least the guidance set forth by the CDC. We’ve all been hearing stories about vaccinations going to waste, being destroyed, and other various scandals. What about perhaps the biggest scandal of them all…
According to the Associated Press, “An early look at the 17 states and two cities that have released racial breakdowns through Jan. 25 found that Black people in all places are getting inoculated at levels below their share of the general population, in some cases significantly below. That is true even though they constitute an oversize percentage of the nation’s health care workers, who were put at the front of the line for shots when the campaign began in mid-December.” (Johnson, Kastanis, Stafford 2021)
Taking South Carolina as one example Black people represent 22% of the population and 26% of the healthcare workforce, but only 11% received vaccines. This is in comparison to White people, including Hispanic and non-Hispanic people who are 68% of the population, and 82% of which have received a vaccine. Although data is still coming in, this data is trending across states. (Johnson, Kastanis, Stafford 2021) The highest percentage of eligible Black people to be vaccinated is 40% in Mississippi. The majority of data shows the vaccination range is less than 20% in a majority of states.
In an article on the same topic, New York’s Mayor de Blasio also acknowledged the disparity stating “Clearly, we do see a profound disparity that needs to be addressed aggressively and creatively,” de Blasio said in a conference call with reporters. “We’ve got a profound problem of distrust and hesitancy, particularly in communities of color.” (Matthews, 2021)
A Public Advocate in New York, Jumaane Williams told the Associated Press, “The demographic data on vaccine distribution that the city finally released today after long delays confirms what we feared and expected — that the people and communities of more color, disproportionately harmed by the pandemic, have been disproportionately hindered in equitable access to vaccination.” (Matthews, 2021)
Over 430,000 people died from the Coronavirus, with a discorporate death rate for people of color about three times the death rate of white people.(apnew.com) Black, Hispanic and Native American people make up the majority of deaths, along with people with health conditions, older adults and the elderly making up the difference, according to the CDC.
Adding another fact to our list, low-income communities and communities of color have worse health outcomes than those in middle-to- high income communities. There are a wide range of reasons, one being the healthcare systems and resources available. Because healthcare systems in communities of color, typically correlated with low-income communities, historically lack access to adequate healthcare resulting in a negative spiral of chronic conditions, nutrition-related illnesses, and other seemingly avoidable diseases. We also know that poorer communities experience larger environmental factors that negatively contribute to health outcomes, and it’s generational. All of this was held up to the light with the Pandemic. All of these small cracks splintered leaving a shattered view of healthcare for people of color.
If we know these facts to be true, why is the vaccination issue happening? Starting from the beginning, the vaccination eligibility is determined by the State and many states are using online systems to sign people up for vaccination. If you don’t know about this campaign how would you sign up? Disinformation and lack of information are two huge barriers, as communities of color and specifically people of color are not informed on how to get vaccinated. Secondly, there’s a culture of distrust due to the effects of the pandemic. People of color have been traumatized and don’t trust that the healthcare system has their best interest in mind. This is why community health workers are taking up the burden of spreading the word, educating people, arranging transportation, and reducing barriers as much as possible.
President Biden is making a case for increased equity in the vaccination process, working with the CDC to utilize the “vulnerability index” incorporating data on race, poverty, housing, and other risk factors. The initial rollout plan was based on the Trump Administration, and now that it’s in Biden’s hands, he’s basically laying track while the train is running. The data doesn’t lie, and even the missing data wouldn’t change the trajectory of vaccination demographics, with White people following the exact predicted trend of vaccination quantities in each state. Of the eligible participants, the trends state-wide show that Black people are not being vaccinated at the same rate as their White counterparts.
There’s more to say on the topic, but the most important takeaway is that whether we like it or not, our healthcare system is unequal and sees color. This Black History Month, we focus on family. We want to bring this to your attention to be better family members to one another, to our neighbors and to people of color. Sameerah Singletary, a community health worker in Detroit said, “I feel like we have to participate in our healing.” (AP, 2021)
Sources:
Carla K. Johnson, Angeliki Kastanis. “AP Analysis: Racial Disparity Seen in US Vaccination Drive.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 30 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-health-coronavirus-pandemic-hispanics-d0746b028cf56231dbcdeda0fba24314.
Matthews, Karen. “Racial Disparities Seen in New York City Vaccination Rates.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 31 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-new-york-new-york-city-demographics-coronavirus-pandemic-9f0488851be4e1ba9a22480473da97a0.