Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution: Moving to a Race Conscious Approach for a Racially Disparate Problem

James H Johnson Jr; Jeanne Milliken Bonds; Allan M Parnell; Cedric M Bright

doi:10.1007/s40615-021-01051-2

Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution: Moving to a Race Conscious Approach for a Racially Disparate Problem

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2021 Aug;8(4):799-802. doi: 10.1007/s40615-021-01051-2. Epub 2021 May 4.

Authors

James H Johnson Jr¹, Jeanne Milliken Bonds¹, Allan M Parnell², Cedric M Bright³

Affiliations

¹ Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
² Cedar Grove Institute for Sustainable Communities, 619 Lee Street, Mebane, NC, 27302, USA.
³ Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, 27829, USA. BRIGHTC19@ecu.edu.

Abstract

Strikingly ignoring the critical impact of systemic racism in vulnerabilities to the deadly coronavirus, phase one of the vaccine rollout is not reaching the Black population that has suffered the most from COVID. An urgent need exists for a race-conscious approach that ensures equitable opportunities to both access and receive the vaccines.

Keywords: Blacks; COVID-19; Comorbidities; Hyper-segregation; Legacy pollutants; Poverty; Race-blind vaccine rollout; Reputational equity.

MeSH terms

Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
COVID-19 / ethnology*
COVID-19 / prevention & control
COVID-19 Vaccines / supply & distribution*
Health Care Rationing / methods*
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Racism / prevention & control*
United States / epidemiology

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines