Racial Disparities Hinder Vaccination Efforts
By Consumers For Quality Care, on March 17, 2021
According to a new report from the state of Washington, Black, Hispanic and other communities of color have been hardest hit by COVID-19, and are now the communities underrepresented in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are dying by high numbers in the Black community because people are afraid of the vaccine,” said Sharon Martin, who was vaccinated Thursday at a city of Seattle vaccination event.
The report pointed to the shortage of vaccine supply, vaccine hesitancy, and under representation of workers in the health care sector as some of the factors contributing to the racial inequity.
The state health report found that:
- Although Hispanic residents comprise 13.2 percent of the state’s population, only 5.9 percent have been fully vaccinated. The data found that Hispanics make up roughly 32 percent of the state’s coronavirus cases.
- Black people are 3.9 percent of the state, but just 2.7 percent have been vaccinated.
- Non-Hispanic Multi-racial people make up 4.3 percent of Washington state’s population but only a fraction, just 0.3 percent have been fully vaccinated.
Now, community leaders are calling for vaccination events that target communities of color in an effort to help curb hesitancy and spread of the virus.
