Black Americans are reportedly receiving coronavirus vaccinations at strikingly lower rates in comparison to white Americans during the first few weeks of distribution, according to Kaiser Health News.
Three percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, but according to data, 16 states show that White Americans are vaccinated significantly more — often two to three times more.
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In the state of Pennsylvania, 1.2% of white residents were vaccinated since January 14 compared to only 0.3% of Black residents.
The majority of vaccinations have been distributed to front-line workers consisting of physicians, nurses, and janitors who have been working throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
KHN believes that if the vaccinations reach all people equally, the number of people vaccinated would align with the demographic of health care workers who are vaccinated.
Scientist and physician Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo tweeted, “Janitorial staff didn’t have access to hospital email so vaccine info sent to hospital staff did not reach them. What structural racism looks like.”
According to The Hill, for many Black Americans, their distrust stems from their knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study from 1932 to 1972 when 400 Black male farmers were untreated after contracting syphilis from the study. A similar story involving Henrietta Lacks, whose stem cells were removed from her without her permission, may give pause to some Black Americans. Lacks died at 31 due to cervical cancer.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Black Americans are 3.7 times more likely to be hospitalized with coronavirus and 2.8 times more likely to die than other populations.
Dr. Fola May, a physician and health equity researcher at UCLA, said she’s concerned about vaccinations being available to underrepresented communities who are the most at risk.
“My concern now is if we don’t vaccinate the population that’s highest-risk, we’re going to see even more disproportional deaths in Black and brown communities. It breaks my heart,” she said.
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