EQUITABLE VACCINE ACCESS MUST REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY

As a health center founded by seven mothers when the only doctor serving their small community was leaving, San Ysidro Health is no stranger to the challenges faced by our communities. Our founding mothers banded together and 51 years later, San Ysidro Health continues treating the health needs of working families with 107,000 lives in our care.

The social determinants of health can negatively impact the overall well-being of patients, and COVID-19 was one more disease challenging our patients. As already widely acknowledged, factors such as low socioeconomic status, multigenerational housing in dense areas, and use of public transportation amplify the effects of infections such as COVID-19, which spread so easily. Having a hard-working population that holds essential jobs that are not conducive to remote work creates an even greater disproportionate impact. Faced with quickly rising case rates, we realized we needed to act quickly. We did, and we didn’t stop. These last 12 months have felt like running a marathon at sprinter speed.

We found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic that didn’t allow us to slow down.

Every day we focused on prevention and treatment because with COVID-19 rates three or four times higher in our communities than in others elsewhere in the county, each day could be exponentially harmful.

While others may have looked from a distance at the numbers and statistics of this sometimes faceless disease, we saw the faces of our communities. We saw parents who had to leave their children to go to work in order to provide shelter and food while risking COVID-19 infections for them and their families. In fact, Latino children have the highest pediatric COVID-19 infection rate in California as their parents represent the essential workforce. The stories are physically draining and emotionally taxing, and who knows how long these physical and emotional scars may last. We haven’t been able to stop and acknowledge the sadness because the marathon isn’t completed yet. How do we beat this illness that has taken the precious lives of over half a million people in the United States alone?

Over the years, we were proud to make gains in chronic disease management and oral health, and then COVID-19 happened. A year into this pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it had reduced the average life expectancy of Americans in 2020 by a full year. The news seemed to starkly illustrate the devastation wrought by our nation’s worst public health crisis in 100 years. “Another consequence of the decreased life expectancy estimates observed during the first half of 2020 was a worsening of racial and ethnic mortality disparities,” the report noted.

COVID-19 hit Black and Hispanic Americans harder than White Americans. People in those two groups who died from the virus were also more likely to be younger, slicing into the life expectancy figures more deeply. Seeing these numbers reminds us how disproportionately this virus has impacted our country.

With vaccines now available and herd immunity on the horizon, we see hope on the faces of our patients who are thankful for protection against this dreaded illness. For those directly impacted by the hospitalization or death of a loved one, the devastation is real. We must ensure that the communities hardest hit by the pandemic receive equitable access to the vaccine. With rates still higher in our communities, the importance of accessible vaccines is magnified. While hope is welcomed, we cannot let our guard down. Let’s stay vigilant, get vaccinated, trust in the science, and allow time to reach herd immunity and prevent further spread of the variants.

Reflecting on how we managed to get to this point in the pandemic, three factors deserve recognition. First and foremost, we must recognize the dedication and commitment of our staff, physicians, advanced practice practitioners, behavioral health providers and dentists. They have accepted and exceeded our expectations in serving in communities hardest hit by this pandemic. Secondly, the collaboration with our county, its public health department and partner health care organizations has strengthened our work. Our county and public health department have included our voices and our needs every step of the way. Together, we have fought this pandemic, and together, we will succeed. Lastly, the resiliency of our patients and communities cannot be ignored. Through all the challenges, illnesses and sadness, they continue to work together for their families and the betterment of our communities.

Let’s not stop the race before we hit the finish line. The finish line is coming, and we can get there together if everyone trusts in those who have tried to protect you.