Early U.S. data indicates Blacks, Hispanics lagging in COVID-19 vaccinations

[webfact]

Early U.S. data indicates Blacks, Hispanics lagging in COVID-19 vaccinations

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris listen as Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, named as Biden's chief medical adviser on the president-elect's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) task force, addresses a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., December 8, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Early data on U.S. coronavirus vaccinations released on Monday suggests that Blacks and Hispanics received a smaller proportion of shots than their representation among healthcare workers and nursing home residents, two priority groups for COVID-19 inoculations.

 

The United States needs more complete data on the race and ethnicity of people who have been vaccinated, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which released the data.

 

Blacks and Hispanics have been particularly hard hit by COVID-19 with a disproportionate number of deaths, and public health officials have broadly called for equity in vaccine distribution.

 

Race data was only available for about half of the 12.9 million people vaccinated in the United States between Dec. 14, 2020 and Jan. 14, 2021.

 

Blacks received 5.4% of shots reported with race/ethnicity data, the CDC said, despite national data showing they made up 16% of healthcare workers and 14% of nursing home residents, two groups prioritized for the first wave of vaccinations.

 

Hispanics received 11.5% of the shots, according to the available data, while making up 13% of healthcare workers and 5% of nursing home residents.

 

Whites received 60.4% of shots and accounted for 60% of healthcare workers and 75% of nursing home residents.

 

Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the Biden administration's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, told reporters on Monday that the data so far suggests that Black Americans and other non-white groups are not being vaccinated at the same rate as white Americans.

 

She added that she thinks that if data had been collected for everyone who received shots, it would show an even greater imbalance.

 

New York City on Sunday reported that while Blacks made up 24% of the city's population, according to 2019 data, they have so far sought and received only 11% of coronavirus vaccinations.

 

The federal data showed that of those for whom racial/ethnic data was reported, 14.4% were reported as multiple/other, 6.0% Asian and 2.0% American Indian or Alaskan Natives, the study showed.

 

In addition to the limited availability of racial data, the CDC said the report also had to contend with varying criteria for administering shots among states and vaccination centers.

 

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Bill Berkrot)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-02

 

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[khwaibah]

Biden's bet on rapid COVID-19 home testing starts with $230 million deal with Australian company

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/02/01/home-covid-test-us-makes-deal-ellume-8-5-million-month-rapid-testing-biden-administration/4338417001/?fbclid=IwAR0ufqo8PYTjamd4hHpVXMr9bZpDDKJmIfwSGSgvc4TRSfMp4ONvgMYC9Eo

[Tug]

Not in the least bit surprising hopefully we can do better many Americans do have the will and desire to right the inequities in our country 

[Poet]

It is vital that they immediately stop vaccinating the old and refocus on minorities.

[John Drake]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the Biden administration's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, told reporters on Monday that the data so far suggests that Black Americans and other non-white groups are not being vaccinated at the same rate as white Americans.

 

Because many blacks and Latinos are so far refusing the vaccine. They're not being denied. They are themselves avoiding the vaccine. Just search for it. There are pages and pages of links about this. Remarkable how this story never mentions the reason.

[timkeen08]

51 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Because many blacks and Latinos are so far refusing the vaccine. They're not being denied. They are themselves avoiding the vaccine. Just search for it. There are pages and pages of links about this. Remarkable how this story never mentions the reason.

Here's just one.  https://khn.org/news/article/black-americans-are-getting-vaccinated-at-lower-rates-than-white-americans/

[Venom]

Why do they still categorize people into groups based on skin color in the US, a practice which is basically racism by definition? 

[Benmart]

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics".

 

Mis-attributed to Twain, Disraeli and Dike. Most likely an anonymous writer.

 

 

[jesimps]

3 hours ago, Venom said:

Why do they still categorize people into groups based on skin color in the US, a practice which is basically racism by definition? 

They want stats based on race for covid jabs, but try suggesting they need the same for crime statistics.

 

[Scott]

12 hours ago, Poet said:

It is vital that they immediately stop vaccinating the old and refocus on minorities.

The statistics are for minorities in the category being vaccinated is for health care workers, first responders and those over 75.   Starting this  month, it will be lowered to 65 and older.  

 

6 hours ago, Venom said:

Why do they still categorize people into groups based on skin color in the US, a practice which is basically racism by definition? 

Crime statistics are most certainly broken down by race, as well as sex and age.  Racism is keeping information on any particular race, racism is acting negatively on people of a particular race.  

Access to the vaccine is neither easy nor convenient yet.   If an appointment is available, it sometimes requires traveling a significant distance and a pretty big chunk of waiting time.  Many of the wrinkles in administration of the vaccine are getting worked out slowly, but I suspect it will be a while before it is widely available to those who cannot easily get to one of the mass vaccination sites. 

 

I suspect that when/if the Johnson&Johnson vaccine is approved there will be better penetration into the general population because it does not require the sophisticated handling the current vaccines do.  Until then it will be a while until it a vaccine is available to people who find it difficult to go through the onerous process of getting an appointment and transportation to a site. 

 

[Scott]

Troll post removed.