WASHINGTON – A study out yesterday suggested that black Americans have not gotten the coronavirus vaccine at a rate proportionate to their population in the nation.
Between December 14 last year and January 14, nearly 13 million people received at least one injection of the two vaccines authorised in the United States, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country’s main federal public health agency.
The ethnicity of about half of those patients – 6.7 million people – is known. Of them, only 5.4% identified as black, white (60.4%), Hispanic (11.5%) and Asian (6%).
However, CDC also noted that about 14% of those vaccinated self-identified as “multiple” or “other” ethnicities, limiting the possibility of drawing definitive conclusions.
“More complete reporting of race and ethnicity data at the provider and jurisdictional levels is critical to ensure rapid detection of and response to potential disparities in Covid-19 vaccination.”
The data was released amid growing concern in the US about disparities in access to vaccines.
In certain regions, vaccination centres are located in predominantly white neighbourhoods. The same imbalance can be seen in access to internet connection, which is needed to make a vaccination appointment.
Meanwhile, African Americans are 2.9 times more likely to be hospitalised due to Covid-19, and 2.1 times more likely to die of the disease, said Marcella Nunez-Smith, who was appointed by President Joe Biden to coordinate an equitable response to the coronavirus crisis, yesterday.
White House spokesman Jen Psaki said the executive branch is paying particular attention to this issue, including “supporting additional venues for vaccinations, targeted (at) reaching those at the highest risk”, and calling on states to develop plans for equitable vaccine distribution. – AFP, February 2, 2021
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