Vaccine disparity

Distribution of COVID-19 vaccine in Black, Latino communities needs a shot in the arm.

Food deserts are one thing. Vaccine deserts are another.

Much has been written about the lack of grocers selling fresh fruits and vegetables in communities of color, a significant problem, but no one should tolerate disparities in government-provided access to life-saving immunizations against a deadly virus.

Yet, early data from vaccine distribution is showing that Black and Latino Americans, the very ones disproportionately affected by COVID-19, are being vaccinated at much lower rates than white people.

Lack of access to vaccines is just one factor — but a very important one — that appears to be contributing to the alarming gap in vaccination rates in communities of color, but the scope of the disparity is hard to determine because many states and local jurisdictions are not providing demographic data. Race and ethnicity information is missing for about 45 percent of the nearly 1.7 million Texans who have received at least one dose of vaccine.

Early numbers are enough to sound warning bells. And enough to persuade local health authorities to quickly expand efforts to connect communities of color with vaccines, even if it means bringing the shots directly to them.

Black Americans and Latinos are three times more likely to die from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus and four times more likely to be hospitalized than white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, in Texas, where Black residents are 13 percent of the population, they’re only 4 percent of Texans who have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the state’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. That share is only 9 percent for Latinos, who are 40 percent of the population.

In 16 states that have released data by race and ethnicity, vaccination rates among white residents are as much as two to three times higher than for Black residents, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News. The vaccination rates for Latinos are also smaller compared with the share of cases and deaths.

Texas health officials announced last week that they will begin requiring health care providers to report race and ethnicity data for COVID-19 vaccine recipients. That is welcome news. Accurate demographic information is key to ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are not being left out.

But that is only one step. Equitable vaccine distribution will require a holistic approach — one that includes everything from community outreach to locating sites in neighborhoods most in need.

It’s true that some of the disparities in vaccine rates may be attributed to vaccine hesitancy fueled by mistrust in a medical system that has often failed to respond to the needs of Black and Latino communities and, at times, has actively mistreated patients of color.

It’s also true that many vaccine hubs are far from communities of color and difficult to get to without a car. The labyrinthine online registration process for signing up for vaccines presents a barrier for anyone without easy internet access or who is not computer savvy. Or for working people who aren’t able to spend hours hitting the refresh button.

We’re glad to see that state and local officials are already planning solutions to the problem. After initially concentrating most vaccination hubs in affluent, majority-white neighborhoods, the state added 28 sites focused on the most vulnerable communities in their region.

Houston Health Department and Harris County officials told the editorial board that they are also putting measures in place to address vaccine disparity, including multilingual outreach campaigns aimed at easing vaccine fears and increasing education about the vaccine’s safety.

It is encouraging that Harris County’s plan includes the use of a network of “promotoras,” community health workers in predominantly Latino communities.

Both entities also plan to set up vaccine sites in underserved communities and to deploy mobile vaccine units once supply increases. That is crucial, since many low-income neighborhoods don’t have the clinics, grocery stores and pharmacies being used for vaccine distribution.

“We have a responsibility to make sure that every part of our community has access to something that literally not only will save lives, but will be the linchpin to our ability to get our economy up and running again,” Rafael Lemaitre, communications director for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, told the editorial board. “Our success will only happen if we reach every corner of our community.”

And it will only happen if elected leaders and public health officials do all they can to urgently address the gaps. That includes thinking outside the box by offering rides to vaccination sites or setting up vaccine kiosks outside ethnic grocery stores. Put it all on the table.

Anything less will slow efforts to achieve herd immunity and leave already hard-hit communities at risk of being further decimated by COVID-19.