Fewer Black, Hispanic residents are getting vaccines; Stamford Health reaching out to help

STAMFORD — For part of a brisk Saturday morning in January, Stamford Health cleared its schedule.

One of the largest hospital systems in Connecticut blocked out just over an hour at its COVID-19 vaccine clinic, and welcomed nonprofit Building One Community and Stamford’s NAACP chapter. Instead of relying on its own system to book Phase 1b appointments, Stamford Health turned to those entrenched in the Black and Hispanic communities to vaccinate about 40 seniors in a push tailored specifically to their needs and anxieties surrounding the vaccine.

Data on what racial groups are getting the vaccine is sparse nationally. Only 17 states report vaccine recipients by race, and Connecticut isn’t one them. But early data suggests that vaccine distribution follows the longestablished patterns of heath disparities in the U.S.

In nearby Massachusetts, Black residents — 7 percent of the population — make up only 4.4 percent of vaccine recipients. The outlook is even grimmer for the state’s Hispanic population; they only make up 5.3 percent of vaccinations, but account for close to 30 percent of cases in a state that is 12.4 percent Hispanic.

Stamford Health has yet to compile data on racial demographics for its distribution program, which operates in partnership with the city’s Department of Health, according to communications director Andie Jodko.

“We established this program in response to the data that shows lower vaccination rates among minority groups across the country,” Stamford Health CEO Kathleen Silard said. “We know the disparate impact of COVID-19 on the Black and Hispanic community, so we decided that we wanted to get out in the forefront, to get the word out about how important getting vaccinated is.”

The event attempted to go beyond getting people in the door and, particularly for participants who spoke limited English, attempted to usher them through the process without alienating them from the healthcare system.

“We had our outreach coordinator there, with the orange

Building One Community shirt, to make sure it was easy, to make sure people had a familiar face,” said Anka Badurina, president of B1C, which helps connect immigrants in Stamford to a number of services.

While the friendly face helped ease anxieties that day, the organizations took more practical steps too. Recipients were briefed on exactly where to go in the hospital and got a map with directions. For those with a limited grasp of English, an interpreter stood close by to promote clear communication with hospital staff.

Friendly faces also helped Stamford NAACP President Guy Fortt entice people into getting the vaccine. When trying to find participants for the vaccine drive on a short notice, he asked Black faith leaders to spread the word, along with the NAACP’s own network.

Robert Stewart, 75, discovered the vaccination drive through the NAACP’s frantic outreach effort. He was eager to get the vaccine, he said, because he wants to see his 94-year-old mother as soon as possible. Despite his own enthusiasm, Stewart is quick to admit that not everyone feels the same way.

“I would say its 50-50,” he said.

Stewart, who is Black and lives in Stamford, has one friend who won’t put “anything into his body that he doesn’t know what it is.” Stewart said he finds it funny, considering the debauchery he has watched his friend partake in over the years they’ve known each other.