COVID Vaccine Inequities (still)
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Let’s start with the big picture. 39% of the total US population are fully vaccinated. Vaccinations per day have slowed down to 1.7 million per day (which is half of what we were seeing in April at 3.5 million per day). Bummer!
There’s a misconception that anyone who wants a vaccine can get one. Yes, vaccines are becoming more and more widely available. But, that does not mean access is equal. I’ve shown this graph before - It shows the vaccination rates for three groups according to social vulnerability. Social vulnerability is an aggregate measure of factors that can affect someone’s health (like poor housing, lack of health insurance, rurality, poverty, etc). The MOST vulnerable groups have a vaccination rate of 33% while the least vulnerable groups are at 42%.
And, the gap is widening. I’ve been watching the above graph every time I post - and was hoping that the gap between the most and least vulnerable groups would become smaller. However, the opposite is happening. The next picture shows 4 different groups, ranging from least vulnerable on the left (these are people with insurance, above the poverty line, stable housing, etc) to the most vulnerable on the right. The graphs shows the gaps OVER time from April 1 through now. Do you see it? The least vulnerable counties have vaccinated faster than even the US average - while the most vulnerable counties have never been above the US average - and, in fact are falling further behind.
The reasons for this are varied. But, imagine being someone with already poor access to healthcare, lack of insurance, and you work with an employer who won’t give you time off to get vaccinated or time off if you experience side effects. Imagine being someone with poor access to healthcare who doesn’t trust health systems due to deep seated, systemic issues of inequities (BTW, these reasons are legitimate because these systemic biases still exist). Imagine being undocumented and not being able to get access to healthcare in general.
Where do you get the vaccine? When can you get it? Who do you trust?
We have to do better in advocating for better access. It’s not as simple of saying, “just go get it anywhere”. That’s a privileged statement that does not understand the complexities of equal access to care.
So, what do we do?
Call a friend to see if they need help signing up for a vaccine.
You can find vaccine sites by going here.
Or by texting calling here.
Volunteer at your local vaccine clinic. You can call your local health department and see how you can help make calls for outreach.
If you are an employer, please give your employee paid-time off not only get their vaccines, but also for a few days after getting a vaccine if they experience fatigue or fever (which are common side effects).
This is not over, friends. We need to keep the 39% of fully vaccinated people in mind as we continue marching towards the summer. That’s not herd immunity. Keep wearing those masks, distancing, and loving your neighbors - including advocating for equal and fair access to vaccines.
-FNE