Equity in vaccine distribution

[Anonymous]

How are local jurisdictions handling racial equity in vaccine distribution? Are they trying to address it?

[Anonymous]

Short answer: maybe

MD: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vaccine-equity-montgomery-maryland/2021/01/31/3a1f2fe0-617f-11eb-9061-07abcc1f9229_story.html
DC : https://wtop.com/coronavirus/2021/01/dc-health-director-were-focused-on-equity-in-covid-19-vaccine-distribution/
VA: https://richmond.com/news/local/virginia-has-sped-up-its-vaccine-distribution-and-pulled-ahead-of-most-states-but-equity/article_168b4cbd-dd7c-5fef-8049-7921d2e21a8b.html

[Anonymous]

There needs to be more advocacy and outreach to the vaccine distribution centers. From what I’ve heard, when you go to book an appointment at our local hospital, they ask for your race but it’s just used to report the stats. They could use that to prioritize black/brown people for appointments. As in, ensure a minimum of X% of the available slots to people with color, since we know they are disproportionately affected by COVID. If any of the reserved quota isn’t used by a certain time then open up the slots to white folks. When there’s a will there’s a way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be more advocacy and outreach to the vaccine distribution centers. From what I’ve heard, when you go to book an appointment at our local hospital, they ask for your race but it’s just used to report the stats. They could use that to prioritize black/brown people for appointments. As in, ensure a minimum of X% of the available slots to people with color, since we know they are disproportionately affected by COVID. If any of the reserved quota isn’t used by a certain time then open up the slots to white folks. When there’s a will there’s a way.

You’re proposing granting or withholding health care based on race? What could possibly go wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be more advocacy and outreach to the vaccine distribution centers. From what I’ve heard, when you go to book an appointment at our local hospital, they ask for your race but it’s just used to report the stats. They could use that to prioritize black/brown people for appointments. As in, ensure a minimum of X% of the available slots to people with color, since we know they are disproportionately affected by COVID. If any of the reserved quota isn’t used by a certain time then open up the slots to white folks. When there’s a will there’s a way.

You’re proposing granting or withholding health care based on race? What could possibly go wrong?

My thoughts as well....

[Anonymous]

The divisive roll out of the plan is adding to racial tensions.

So incredibly wrong. Priority should be based on age and then underlying health conditions.

It is bad enough the smokers and the obese are getting priority.

[Anonymous]

I feel like the way to address it in DC isn't with quotas or other means that complicate and slow down vaccination, but by ensuring that there are plenty of vaccination sites in predominantly AA neighborhoods, and ensuring that people in those neighborhoods have the means to make appointments, and any assistance necessary. But prioritize the vaccine based on age/essential workers, not on race per se.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The divisive roll out of the plan is adding to racial tensions.

So incredibly wrong. Priority should be based on age and then underlying health conditions.

It is bad enough the smokers and the obese are getting priority.

Obesity is a risk factor. There's zero reason not to prioritize obese people based on that (probably after seniors and people with higher risk conditions) other than a desire to see fat people die.

[Anonymous]

Just give it to all the POC first, and eliminate any possibility of bickering. Because that’s the only option where someone isn’t bleating “that’s racist!” .

I’m white, and will happily go to the end of the line just to get people to STFU.

[Anonymous]

Timely discussion as there was just some debate about this on our neighborhood listserv. Someone had organized a waitlist for the local hospital- essentially a list of age-eligible residents that the hospital could call on short notice if they have leftover vaccines at the end of the day. Supposedly people are being chosen randomly. Now someone is upset that no one thought to rank individuals on this list and want to ask the hospital to choose the AA/Hispanic persons first rather than at random. Not really sure why some see the need to split hairs on this as while the younger families in the area are more diverse, the older, age-eligible residents are mostly white anyway. But they are probably thinking ahead to more people being eligible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the way to address it in DC isn't with quotas or other means that complicate and slow down vaccination, but by ensuring that there are plenty of vaccination sites in predominantly AA neighborhoods, and ensuring that people in those neighborhoods have the means to make appointments, and any assistance necessary. But prioritize the vaccine based on age/essential workers, not on race per se.

This has been done. And there are few sites in predominantly white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the way to address it in DC isn't with quotas or other means that complicate and slow down vaccination, but by ensuring that there are plenty of vaccination sites in predominantly AA neighborhoods, and ensuring that people in those neighborhoods have the means to make appointments, and any assistance necessary. But prioritize the vaccine based on age/essential workers, not on race per se.

This has been done. And there are few sites in predominantly white.

But are they restricted to people in those hoods? Or are the white people from outside swooping in and taking the appointments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just give it to all the POC first, and eliminate any possibility of bickering. Because that’s the only option where someone isn’t bleating “that’s racist!” .

I’m white, and will happily go to the end of the line just to get people to STFU.

Doubt they/us (I’m Latina) would be ok with that. Just reading Facebook posts and I see many poc saying no thanks to the vaccine, bring comparisons to the Tuskegee experiments and what I hear from Latinos is fear of deportation. You would get a lot of pushback from the communities who need it most. It’s a lose/lose situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just give it to all the POC first, and eliminate any possibility of bickering. Because that’s the only option where someone isn’t bleating “that’s racist!” .

I’m white, and will happily go to the end of the line just to get people to STFU.

Doubt they/us (I’m Latina) would be ok with that. Just reading Facebook posts and I see many poc saying no thanks to the vaccine, bring comparisons to the Tuskegee experiments and what I hear from Latinos is fear of deportation. You would get a lot of pushback from the communities who need it most. It’s a lose/lose situation.

Do they think they are being given a different vaccine than the white person ahead or behind them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the way to address it in DC isn't with quotas or other means that complicate and slow down vaccination, but by ensuring that there are plenty of vaccination sites in predominantly AA neighborhoods, and ensuring that people in those neighborhoods have the means to make appointments, and any assistance necessary. But prioritize the vaccine based on age/essential workers, not on race per se.

This has been done. And there are few sites in predominantly white.

But are they restricted to people in those hoods? Or are the white people from outside swooping in and taking the appointments?

Only 30% of vaccines are being distributed by the city to city residents and the undocumented/homeless through these DC GOV sign up sites. The rest through hospitals in a peculiar fashion that is weighted by who has visited the hospital in the past 2 years (while problematic, not sure how this would be race based). They have made it as easy as possible for people in those locations to physically access the sites. They also have set aside sign up days limited to only them. The only thing that would make it easier would be in-person sign up kiosks at the corner store, which I would volunteer our city council to man.