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NEW: A racial gap has opened up in the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination drive, with Black Americans in many places lagging behind white people in receiving shots, an @AP analysis found. It’s a troubling trend given COVID-19’s impact on Black Americans. https://apnews.com/d0746b028cf56231dbcdeda0fba24314
W/ @CarlaKJohnson & @angel_kastanis: An early look at 17 states & two cities that have released racial breakdowns through Jan. 25 found that Black people in all places are getting inoculated at levels below their share of the general population—in some cases significantly below.
Experts told us several factors could be driving the emerging disparity: Deep distrust of medical establishments because of a historical legacy of discriminatory treatment and racism within the healthcare system. But also inadequate access to the vaccine in Black neighborhoods.
Vaccine hesitancy is a real thing. But I’ve also spoken with sources who have pointed to digital divides that exist in many communities — noting it’s been hard for many to access appointments, which are largely being made online. Lack of transportation is also a concern.
What’s at stake? Dr. @uche_blackstock said we could see “a widening & exacerbation” of racial health inequities: “We could see years taken off the lives of Black Americans in this country and a worsening of life expectancy that will probably take generations to recover from.”
